The New Patriotic Party is deeply worried and concerned about the mindless looting and violence that have gripped London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and other major cities in the United Kingdom. The speed with which the violence which began in Tottenham, the heart of our Ghanaian community in North London has spread all over the country gives us a cause of concern for the lives and businesses of Ghanaians.

We sympathise with all families and groups of communities who have been affected or caught up in the violence or looting in any shape or form. We are also appealing to all Ghanaian families to ensure that their children stay safe and as far away from the scenes of the violence and the criminality as possible.

As Ghanaians we are known to be a peaceful community and we should keep up our good name and maintain the dignity that we have been known to possess. We are therefore appealing to parents to advise their young ones to stay home and away from trouble. The epic-centres of the violence in London such as Tottenham, Hackney, Enfield, Edmonton,Peckham,Woolwich,camden Croydon, Clapham, Ealing and other communities outside London in Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool and Leeds are well known Ghanaian communities and therefore our lives are bound to be affected.

The police are doing their best to stem the tide of the violence but as a community we owe it as our own responsibility to protect ourselves, our lives and our businesses through community networking and support.

We are appealing to the Ghana High Commission to re-assure all Ghanaians in our moments of need here in UK and Ireland. We implore them to set up a help line for all Ghanaians affected or in fear of their lives and businesses. We in NPP UK & Ireland are prepared to work in collaboration with the High Commission in this regard.

Hayford Atta-Krufi

Chairman, NPP UK and Ireland