KIDNAPPINGS DENT GHANA’S IMAGE

But a spate of kidnappings in recent months has seriously dented the good image of the country.

Many foreign countries whose citizens frequent Ghana have issued travel alerts to their citizens travelling to Ghana to be on the look-out for kidnappers and other bad guys.

These warnings have been issued on the back of the upsurge in kidnappings that have occurred in recent times.

It started with the kidnapping of three girls at Takoradi in the Western Region and an Indian who was kidnapped at gunpoint in Kumasi, last April. He was rescued later but the whereabouts of the three girls kidnapped in December last year continue to be unknown.

Although President Nana Akufo-Addo has declared a crackdown on kidnapping, the latest abduction appears to have dealt a major blow to the country’s accolade of a peaceful nation in the West Africa sub-region.

But the Minister of Information has assured that the country remains safe despite the upsurge of kidnappings for ransom.

The Ghanaian Times is relieved that the two Canadian ladies have been rescued in the midst of other kidnappings that are under police investigations.

We cannot anticipate the anger of the international community against Ghana if the two Canadians had not been found alive.

The nation’s image would have been dented beyond the damage that had been done but thankfully with the rescue of the ladies we believe we have restored some of our good image.

What is left to be done is for us to quickly resolve the kidnapping of the three Takoradi girls which for us, is very worrying.

The concern of many Ghanaians is that the three girls have been in captivity for the past six months and it appears the security agencies do not have a clue about their where about.

We are worried that the country’s image is gradually being dragged into the league of unsafe countries which could affect it negatively.

Apart from psychological and physical effect on victims, kidnapping exerts enormous and far reaching economic and social cost as well as create fear and panic for citizens.

In many ways it can also drive away investment and affect the tourism industry.

That is why we need the security agencies to redouble their efforts to nip to creeping canker in the bud.

We must not allow our country to become a safe haven for kidnappers as other countries.

Let’s crack the whip now and stop them in their tracks.