Veep: Ghana to reduce armed robbery to barest minimum

Prague, Nov. 11, GNA - Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday promised that government would continue to strategise to reduce armed robbery and other criminal activities to the barest minimum.

He said although the Executive had already provided logistics to empower the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service and other security services to combat crime and other anti-social activities, more strategies would be rolled out in the coming months to ensure a peaceful nation and the creation of a congenial environment for investments and other developmental projects.

"No investor will like to push his or her money in an atmosphere of general insecurity and that is why we as a government are ready to put in everything under our armpit to ensure peace and safety," he stressed. Vice President Mahama gave the promise when he addressed the Ghanaian community in Prague, Czech Republic as part of a four-day visit to the country.

On Tuesday the Vice President addressed the opening session of the Ghana-Czech Trade and Investment Forum, met with Mr Petr Necas, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and President Vaclav Klaus, leading to the deepening of bilateral relations in the areas of urban transport, power generation, electricity transmission and the exploitation of oil and gas.

Vice President Mahama said although armed robbery was taking a global dimension, government would commit everything necessary to fight it to a logical conclusion in order to attract Ghanaians living outside the country to come back to exhibit their professional expertise to propel the developmental agenda of government.

He said his visit to the Czech Republic had equipped him adequately and would as soon as possible invite experts in the country to train Ghanaian entrepreneurs in business development, Information, Communication and Technology alongside human resource development in the areas of agriculture and general engineering.

He said a military barracks had been established in Bawku, due to the volatile situation in the area and gave the assurance that government would put in more measures to quell tension in all the flashpoints of the country.

Every Ghanaian has the right to live in a state of peace and unity and government would continue to provide the necessary facilities that would ensure that all the freedoms contained in the Constitution are properly adhered to.

The Vice President said last year Ghana recorded a surplus of 100 tons of maize due mainly to the prudent measures the Mills Administration had adopted.

He said the efforts would be sustained in order to make Ghana a net food exporter.

Mr Victor Emmanuel Smith, Ghana's Ambassador said he would relate well with the business community to tap their expertise through exchange programmes to enhance better economic relations between the two countries.

During the interactive session the Ghanaian community asked questions bordering on peace and stability, security, investment opportunities and the discovery of oil and gas and its repercussions in the country.