NOTE TO THE BROADCASTER
The menace of cybercrime is increasing, and the youth are the main perpetrators. The News Commentary discusses ways of turning the youthful population into an asset for development.
KEEPING THE YOUTH AWAY FROM CYBER FRAUD
BY GABRIEL ADUKPO
At the last press encounter with the president, a journalist asked what the government was doing to solve the problem of internet fraud in the Zongo communities. Knowing what measures were being planned, His Excellency the President did not hesitate to invite the Minister for Zongo and Inner City Development to respond.
It was heartwarming to hear from Dr. Mustapha Hamid that a collaborative program was being implemented to tackle cybercrime, popularly known as Sakawa.
Sakawa is a Ghanaian term for modern internet-based fraud combined with traditional African religious rituals. Practitioners aim to dupe unsuspecting rich individuals and companies of huge sums of money in online scams. The rituals are believed to help spiritually manipulate the minds of the targeted individuals and groups so that the fraud is successful. The victims are mainly foreigners.
Perpetrators of the crime are mostly computer-savvy Ghanaian youth with foreign national accomplices. Successful fraudsters are known to acquire wealth and often show off their expensive cars and mansions. It must be stated that the general Ghanaian public frowns on Sakawa, and it is also not a preserve of Zongo communities. Any corrective measures should target the youth everywhere. As to the efficacy of the religious rituals—call it African electronics—the ordinary person in the physical world cannot ascertain. It is however known that some victims from Europe and North America have been able to get some of the fraudsters arrested.
Any discourse on cybercrime must be put in the wider context of information and communication technology (ICT) and how Ghana can leverage the technology for development. The internet offers unlimited opportunities for the younger generation to engage the world. They are just a few clicks away from volumes of information and contacts.
There are risks, too. Today’s youth have become digital captives and spend too much time behind the computer screen. They are exposed to inappropriate and unwanted content. New online platforms increase access to criminally minded internet users. The dangers of internet-based fraud are growing. Prudent policies must ensure the protection of the public from harm.
Ghana has an Information Communication Technology for Accelerated Development Policy. The policy identifies certain developmental challenges regarding key socio-economic indicators in population, education, and the economy.
Prominent indicators include a high youthful population vis-à-vis a high population growth rate; low secondary school enrolment as many junior high school leavers fail to progress; a narrow industrial base; and low job creation capacity of the economy. These socio-economic pressures of a youthful population put a heavy toll on the national budget. But we cannot fail to turn the youthful population into an asset for development.
The long-term solution has already been initiated at the national level. Who will deny that free Senior High School, One-District-One-Factory, Planting for Export and Rural Development and prudent economic management are opportunities for meaningful engagement of the youth. Medium- and short-term measures are to be implemented by relevant stakeholders, including government, development institutions, pro-youth organizations, private sector businesses, information technology specialists, and parents.
The collaboration of the Ministries of Communication and Zongo and Inner City Development to spearhead the fight against cyber fraud is welcome news. The two government agencies should roll out some community-based initiatives in the policy. An important goal is to do digital education to keep the youth informed, engaged, and safe. Ethical standards should be incorporated into the training so that the youth keep away from online hidden content that facilitates criminality. These areas known as the deep web and dark web should be policed.
Law enforcement also matters. Financial losses to individuals and companies run into several thousands of Ghana cedis annually. Many of the cases go unreported, though. One difficulty in getting the perpetrators apprehended and prosecuted is that the act goes beyond national boundaries. The police therefore require technical competencies to detect or even preempt cybercrime.
The Ghanaian youth must appreciate the shining examples of what ICT can offer to large numbers of users. Think of Bill Gates of Microsoft and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Even the much-talked-about drone is based on information technology.
Back home in Ghana, young people have developed computer applications that help farmers with information on farm management, tractor services, and animal health. The visiting Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Madam Christine Largarde, particularly praised Farmerline Limited for the organization’s work in the area of agriculture on the African continent. All these examples reduce sakawa to a mere selfish act that employs bizarre rituals, which many describe as demonic.
It is said that the devil finds work for the idle hand. With the Zongo Development Fund in place and the commitment of the Sector Minister, there is no doubt that an appropriate youth development program on digital literacy will be implemented to engage the youth. Lessons learned should be incorporated into the ICT policy at the next review. But let us give the young people a voice in the development of digital policies.
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Contributed by: Gabriel Adukpo, Freelance Writer Email: gyaduk@gmail.com
