Government to deal with armed robbery menace

Accra, March 10, GNA- The Police will soon be equipped with high-tech gadgets to enable the Service to deal with the menace of armed bandits prowling highways and robbing travellers.

Vice President John Dramani Mahama, who announced this on Tuesday said equipping the police to enable them to flush out highway robbers and stop other violent crimes remained a major commitment of President John Evans Atta Mills' government and would be pursued vigorously. The Vice President said this when interacting with members of the North American Coordinating Council of the NDC when they paid a courtesy call on him at the Castle, Osu.

Vice President Mahama said plans were underway to deal with armed groups terrorizing traders on highways and robbing them of huge sums of money so as to create a serene atmosphere for people to pursue their legitimate businesses without let or hindrance.

The Vice President said government would not be complacent in dealing with the problem as it could serve as a snag in attracting the flow of foreign direct investments to Ghana.

Vice President Mahama urged Ghanaians living in the United States to link American investors with local industrialists in order to help create jobs for the teeming unemployed youth, especially in the agricultural sector.

He said because nearly 60 per cent of Ghanaians were engaged in agriculture, any effort in helping transform the economy must focus on that sector.

Mr Kobby Boahen, Chairman of the Council, asked the government to consider opening up consulates in a number of cities in the United States as part of the investment drive of the government. He pleaded with the government to deal resolutely with armed robbery in the country so as not to scare away investors.