‘Slums are serious security threats’ – KNUST Lecturer

Dr. Roland Adamtey, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Planning of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology (K.N.U.S.T.) says slums are a serious security threats to every country.

This is due to the fact that they are confronted with various problems from unemployment, diseases, and drug addicts among others. Speaking at the launch of the report on a research into slums and informal settlement towards making Ghana’s cities resilient, Dr. Adamtey said government must find lasting solutions by incorporating them into developmental agenda rather than force eviction which does not work on both sides.

In an interview with Apt News, he stated that children in the slums are under great threat and prone to social vices such as armed robbery, prostitution, drug trafficking among others which goes a long way to have bad effects on them.

He was also of the view that forced eviction is not the solution but will rather increase slums in the country as evicts will have no option than to go settle or squat at a different location.

“A country with most or majority of her future leaders is at risk. What happens to the future affairs of that country?”

He added that slum dwellers must not be neglected on the basis of legality and government must have a firm stand on the issue. He also charged the media to take up the issue, make it a voting issue as this will help attract state actors to take action

According to a research by Good Governance Africa, the over one billion people living in slums is expected to double by 2030

By: Theresa Adezewa Ayittey||APT NEWS