In a bold community-led operation, the youth of Kwesimintsim in the Western Region have stormed and demolished over 20 wooden shacks locally known as “ghettos.”
These structures were believed to be hotspots for illicit drug use, prostitution, and other criminal activities.
The exercise, which was sanctioned by community leaders, uncovered hard drugs and dangerous weapons hidden within the structures.
It was carried out in response to growing concerns about moral decay and rising health risks in the area.
Though largely successful, the operation faced some resistance from individuals attempting to protect the makeshift structures.
Nonetheless, it has received widespread praise from residents and local authorities, including the Mayor of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA), Lawyer F.F Faidoo who has thrown his full support behind the crackdown.
The move comes at a time when health officials are sounding the alarm over a troubling rise in HIV infections in the Western Region.
While the national rate shows a decline, the regional figure has risen from 1.55% to 1.62%, prompting calls for more aggressive public health and security measures.
Stakeholders in the area say similar clean-up operations will be intensified across the region in the coming weeks, as efforts to restore sanity and safeguard public health gain momentum.
