Kwesi Pratt Expresses Deep Concern About Politicization of Crime In Kumasi

The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has expressed concern about the deep politicization of the rise in violence of crime in Kumasi, the Regional capital of the Ashanti Region by the two leading political parties in the country. According to him, the surge in crime in the City could be attributed to the fact that the criminal elements have identified a certain lapse in security in the City. �I am deeply worried that again violence in Kumasi is being unduly politicized without any foundation but just politicizing it. And increasingly it is becoming a tussle between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP). ��.When such things occur, there is a certain faking of the situation to the extent that we can�t find the real solution. If it is an NDC versus NPP problem as so on, then the real causes of the problem, rise in crime and so on is lost on us,� he explained. These sentiments by Kwesi Pratt Jnr. comes on the back of a publication in Wednesday�s edition of the Daily Graphic, in which about 50 members of a notorious group in Aboabo Akorem called �Anrabasin� went wild and fired gunshots indiscriminately in protest against the killing of a member of the group. �Anrabasin� is a Hausa expression which literally means �We shall divide the town�. The story goes on to explain that the gangsters suspected the members of the neighborhood watch committee for the killing Hakeem Mohamed in the early hours of Tuesday and, therefore vowed to avenge his death. The deceased was described by the police as a notorious criminal. However, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper could not understand why the two leading political parties would be blaming each other for what seems to be a purely criminal issue. In his view such a behavior would take our attention from the main issues which has the potential of plunging the nation into chaos. Mr. Pratt however hinted that the increase in crime in Kumasi could be a result of the fact that �criminals have identified security lapses in the city and are exploiting the situation� and this may have nothing to do with politics.