Accra, June 19, GNA - Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, Acting National Coordinator, National Youth Council (NYC), on Thursday called on government to consider reintroducing long vacation training and jobs for the youth.

"The reintroduction of long vacation jobs for the youth would keep them busy and prevent them from criminal acts especially cyber crime". Dr.Nkrumah was speaking at a forum, organised for selected Senior High Schools (SHSs) in the Accra Metropolis on internet fraud under the theme: "The Internet Fraud (Sakawa) Syndrome and the Future of the Ghanaian Youth".

The forum was organised by Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) and had the participating schools as Accra Academy, Accra High School, Labone School, Wesley Grammar High School, Kimbu High School, O'rielly High School, Great Lamptey Mills School and Catholic Social Advanced Institute.

Dr. Nkrumah said it was unfortunate that cyber fraud was on the ascendancy and if not checked could undermine national development. He appealed to the Police and internet service providers to collaborate and flush out people engaging in cyber crimes and asked the service providers to regulate websites that their customers log on. Dr. Nkrumah called on parents to regulate the use of computer by their children at home.

He called for an urgent forum to discuss effective implementation of the National Youth Development policy. Dr. Nkrumah said the NYC would soon come out with comprehensive programmes for the youth and was sourcing funds to build and refurbish youth centres through out the country.

Mr. Kwame Anane Frempong, Country Director of GYAN-Ghana, expressed worry that Ghana had been blacklisted on many websites particularly e-commence sites because of the prevalence of cyber fraud in the country.

"What it means is that legitimate transactions originating from the country can not take place on the internet and this call for urgent attention to be directed at reducing or eliminating cyber fraud". He appealed to government to provide the right framework to support and encourage young people to equip themselves with skills to be able to play even and compete on the global job market.

District Superintendent of Police (DSP) Francis Baah, Head of Document and Visa Fraud Unit, said the Police were working hard to curb the problem with periodic patrols to cyber cafes in suspected areas. He expressed worry about the involvement of the youth in cyber crime and about their adopted lifestyles "which calls for concern considering the fact that in the absence of their ill-gotten loot, society would suffer since they would be forced to engage in activities that can support the lifestyles that are used to". DSP Baah urged tutors of schools to educate students about the dangers of cyber crime and its punishments.