Scrap dealers are reported to have started stealing the metal plates on which the digital addresses have been inscribed.
At Ngleshie Amanfro in the Ga South Municipality of the Greater Accra Region, Myjoyonline.com can report that the implementation of the government’s Digital Address System in various communities is under threat.
This is because some of the aluminium plates, which have addresses on them and affixed to buildings, have been stolen by scrab dealers. Residents who are worried about the situation are now on alert to apprehend the perpetrators.
Being a developing community, Ngleshie Amanfro has become a fertile ground for young scrap dealers who search for scraps everywhere in the community.
Their presence in the community has raised many security issues as residents blame them for the disappearance of metals and aluminum materials.
On Friday, January 21, three scrap dealers, who escaped arrest at American Farm, a suburb Amanfro left behind two mangled aluminium digital address plates believed to have been stolen from houses in the community.
According to a resident, Mr. K. Boateng, he saw the culprits near a house whose occupants were not at home. This made him suspicious about their actions, thus, he moved towards their direction to question them.
Mr. Boateng said “the boys vanished when they saw me coming. After some minutes, I heard people shouting ‘thief thief’ on another street.”
He moved towards the source of the shouts and saw that the culprits had been accosted by some residents, but they managed to run away leaving behind metals, including the aluminum digital number plates which they had mangled.
Meanwhile, an announcement has been made on Global Information Centre, a community-based information facility to help identify the exact location where the plates were taken from.
It was at the information centre that another resident, Mr. Oduro Appiah reported that his aluminium glass door and motor for his fridge, have been stolen.
In an interview with the Assemblyman of the area, Persues Amadum Quarshie, he expressed shock about the development and called on residents to be vigilant in order to protect their digital address plates.
He said robbery has become rampant in the area, thus raising security concerns. He however assured residents of his readiness to partner with the Police to arrest the suspects. He advised the residents to report suspicious movements of strangers to the Police.
The Digital address system is a government flagship project that facilitates easy direction to both public and residential places of people.