IN times past, the richest and most powerful and influential people were those involved in wars of conquest or who owned large mining concessions across the globe.
Presently, however, the source of wealth for one of the richest people in the world — Bill Gates — is information and communications technology (ICT). Thus the world has become what is now known as the global village because by the click of the mouse of a computer all kinds of information can be accessed.
The World Wide Web (WWW) holds the key to any meaningful development process, as the volume of information it generates can help in the promotion of knowledge and enlightenment in society.
ICT has reduced the drudgery associated with any human endeavour today. Degrees are awarded to thousands of people across the globe through distance education. Banking is also made less cumbersome through e-banking; trading activities made simple through e-commerce, while health professionals are able to diagnose health problems and offer prescriptions through the use of communication.
The WWW can also be used for negative things. Cyber fraud is on the ascendancy today because of the availability of Internet cafes across the length and breadth of all urban centres in the world.
Individuals, banks and other organisations have lost millions through the inappropriate use of the Internet.
Just when Ghana is taking steps to deal with the traditional cyber crime, a more deadly variation of computer fraud emerges, this time known as ‘sakawa’.
Not only is ‘sakawa’ creating other challenges for ICT; it is also trying to distort our value system. Suddenly, some of our youth who must be in school have found ‘sakawa’ the best ally and the easiest way to gain access to wealth and fame.
Young people who should be in school have abandoned the classrooms to spend their time in Internet cafes trying to work on their “preys”. Even more disturbing is the practice whereby some of the youth use the Internet for pornography, thereby corrupting their moral values.
The situation has become more frightening in recent times because of witchcraft, superstition and juju.
Reports have it that in order to convince their victims, the ‘sakawa’ boys adopt all kinds of methods, such as sleeping in coffins or tombs, parading in the streets naked under the cover of darkness, as well as abstaining from bathing for days.
The ‘sakawa’ phenomenon has assumed a serious dimension that requires an immediate intervention in order to maintain society’s programme to nurture our youth into responsible adulthood.
The DAILY GRAPHIC concedes that the Internet in particular and ICT in general have very positive influences on the society, provided it develops interventions to deal with the challenges.
We share in the concern of the authorities of the Ghana Education Service (GES) for an emergency national response to safeguard the future of schoolchildren who find the phenomenon of ‘sakawa’ more attractive than the classrooms.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls on the security agencies, educational authorities and parents to collaborate to flush out those who are determined to corrupt the integrity of the WWW. Parents have a major role to play because their children come home with the cars and the money that they make through ‘sakawa’ but instead of questioning the source of this material wealth, the parents encourage their children and share in the glory.
Parents will help to contain ‘sakawa’ if they despise the easy way by which their children want to make it.
‘Sakawa’ must not be allowed to destroy the fabric of our society, particularly the future leaders, and we must act now to nip it in the bud.
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