Akufo-Addo has lost war against armed robbery – Mahama

Armed robberies have become commonplace in Ghana because President Nana Akufo-Addo has lost that fight, former President John Mahama has said.

Speaking to party supporters at Gomoa Dawurampong as part of his tour of the Central Region, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) said: “There are no curfews in many parts of Ghana but you can’t leave home at night, otherwise, armed robbers will pounce on you and rob or kill you”.

“There’s insecurity in this country”, Mr Mahama said, adding: “President Akufo-Addo has lost the war against armed robbery”.

“Just look on the Accra-Cape Coast road, armed robbers are able to block parts of it to rob passengers and drivers.

“Just look at the recent painful murder of the Mfantseman MP by armed robbers.

“It’s all because armed robberies have become uncontrollable”, Mr Mahama said.

He promised: “If I become president again, I will not give guns to vigilante groups, Invisible Forces to use them to kill Ghanaians”.

“If I’m president, I’m not going to give weapons to vigilantes, Invisible Forces and Delta Forces, to kill ordinary Ghanaians”, he stressed.

“I will give weapons to the police and the army to fight armed robbers”, he said.

Mr Mahama noted that: “For all you know, it is these same vigilantes they’ve been training at Bundase that are the one perpetrating the armed robberies at night”.

“But the NDC will stop all that if we come to power because they say Ghana is the safest country in West Africa but where is that safety now?

“These days, people are scared to venture out at night.

“So, if the NDC returns to power by the grace of God, we’ll give you development, which we are known for.

“We’ll fix your roads, extend electricity to your communities, give you potable water, build schools, build hospitals.

“Our main agenda is to create jobs because it is heartbreaking to go finish school and not have a job and still be a burden on your parents.

“So, we will bring development but our aim is to create jobs for our youth. We’ll recruit the youth into the police service, army, forestry commission or anywhere they want to work,” he said.