Society urged to fight against "Sakawa"

Winneba, May 14, GNA - A founding member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Kofi Mintah, has appealed to all and sundry to rise up and fight against the growing phenomenon of "get-rich quick" which has caught up mainly with the youth.

He said if parents could be bold enough to question their children about their sources of wealth and society especially churches, stop inviting such people to chair their functions, the syndrome, which involves dubious means including even taking human lives would be minimised.

Addressing a music festival organised by choristers in Winneba, Mr Mintah called for a concerted efforts by government, parents, churches and other interested groups in society to fight the syndrome popularly called "Sakawa" (defrauding people through the Internet) before it destroyed the youths.

He said the rate, at which school children were allegedly abandoning their education to get involved in cyber fraud, was becoming alarming and had to be nipped in the bud. Mr Mintah, who is also the chairman of the Central Regional Disciplinary Committee of NDC, expressed worry about how Information Communication and Technology (ICT), which must be used to enhance development, was being abused to acquire undeserved wealth. He asked: "What shall it benefit a man if he gained the whole world and lose his soul," and advised the choristers not to allow themselves to be lured into such practice.

Mr Kwesi Damanko, Sales Manager of the Coca Cola Bottling Company, advised the choristers to use whatever they had to glorify God who is the giver of all good things. Mr Damanko also told them to spend their leisure time in the house of God instead of following people who could lead them astray. Reverend John Buabing Odoom, Superintendent Minister of the Winneba circuit of the Methodist Church noted that the advent of globalization presented both a blessing and a curse and therefore cautioned the youth to seek God's intervention in meeting the challenges of life. 14 May 09