Renowned security consultant Richard Kumado has raised serious concerns about the growing phenomenon of streetism in Ghana, warning that it poses a significant threat to national security.
The increasing number of both children and adults living on the streets has sparked widespread concern, with many urging the government and relevant stakeholders to take decisive action to address the issue.
During an interview on Kumasi-based OTEC 102.9 FM’s morning show Nyansapo, hosted by Kwaku Owusu Boateng on Thursday, Mr. Kumado stressed that the vulnerability of street children often leads them into criminal behavior.
“You live on the street and everything on the street, such people have no address and the possibility that they end up in criminal activities is very high,” he said. “Such people can be recruited into criminal gangs, and the danger is that they have no address.”
He explained that many of these individuals, lacking family support or shelter, end up forming gangs that pose a threat to the safety and stability of communities.
Mr. Kumado called for urgent and practical interventions to combat the rising trend of streetism, emphasizing that it must be either eradicated or significantly reduced to protect the country’s long-term security and social stability.