Ghanaians are calling on state authorities to come up with measures to restrain beggars from the streets as their presence and actions pose threats to road users in the country.
The clarion call comes in wake of the recent development where beggars acting under the guise of cleaners take advantage of their services to harass customers especially drivers.
Reacting to and endorsing the statement of Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Morning Show host, Kwame Sefa-Kayi about his observation of how these beggars who posed as car windscreen cleaners surrounded a lady’s car when the traffic signaled for a stop on June 14, 2021, a caller who only identified himself as Bugri narrated a disturbing similar occurrence that took place at the connecting underpass that links East Legon to Spintex Road.
According to Mr. Bugri, he witnessed the horrifying scene when he got to the under-bridge at about 20:00 hours and realized that a group of young men were trooping from the Spintex side of the bridge towards the East Legon.
“I became frightened and did not know where to turn to…,” he said.
Mr. Bugri said, he saw the boys move to an unregistered latest C-Class Benz and surrounded it.
He added that mostly, when they see a nice car, the will go and surround the car, as some of them will lie on the bonnet while others take their positions at the sides of the car, adding that this particular scene was too different.
“I realized that the occupant of the car was frightened and could not determine whether to come out of the car or remain in his seat. He rolled down his window a little and began shouting at the boys to go away”, Mr. Bugri narrated.
When the traffic lights turned green, the driver could not move because he risks running over the boys, however, the boys were also not ready to let the driver go away, all in a bid to get money from him.
He continued to say that these boys had in their hands windscreen cleaners, which at the twist of thought could serve as a weapon to hurt, adding that some of the boys were wielding knives while others held sticks.
What was surprising to Mr. Bugri is that about six young women between the ages of 12 to 14 years were part of this group causing the nuisance at the under-bridge.
He called on the authorities to arrest the situation before it gets out of hands because, he sees it as a criminal act rather than a mere act of begging on the streets.
He stressed that if the driver had a gun with him, he would have had no choice than to defend himself out of fear for his life, since the boys were harassing him. At that moment, all the drivers and motor bikers were just looking on as no one went to his rescue.
Other listeners who texted into the Kokrokoo morning show programme narrated similar occurrences that took place at the same area.
According to a lady who sent in a text message, some of these beggars who ply their activities around the Emmanuel Eye Clinic at East Legon, intentionally lie on the floor in front of your car when you refuse them money, and if care is not taken, you will run over them. This is a nuisance, and the authorities must act.
Another texter said a particular driver he knows, around the same Emmanuel Eye Clinic area, on two occasion placed his pistil in front of his dashboard and after that these beggars do not go near his car again when they spot him.
“They shout to themselves, this is the man with the gun; this is the man with the gun.
They fear that if nothing is done to remedy the problem with urgency, it could degenerate into something complicated which would be difficult to fight.
