Let's Stop Students And Youth From Gambling

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has taken a step that would have a positive effect on the nation. The management of the university has banned sports betting and all sorts of gambling in the university.

Before then sports betting has been going on in the university with students spending huge money on sports betting being organised by many organisations.

It's termed sports betting with those involved required to forecast results of football matches in England and other nations. Those who get the results right are paid for that.

However, it has come to light that many of those students do lose their money meant for their studies. All these students coming from Ghanaian homes and other nations have been sensitised by their parents and religious bodies that all games of chance including sports betting are gambling.

Their parents detest it as well as pastors and imams of their churches and mosques. The nation may be promoting gambling through the national lotteries. Even then the games of chance by the national lotteries are not open to all especially school pupils including students of our Universities.

They are students being supported by their parents. With this step being taken by the KNUST it is my belief that the other Universities in Ghana and other parts of Africa would emulate the example of KNUST by banning gambling in their campuses.

The Ghanaian communities like Nima and other areas must also do well to stop the youths from taking part in gambling such as sports betting... This would help the youths to channel their energies to pursue their studies instead of pursuing the "get rich quick" attitudes that can have negative effect on the students and youths generally.

Unfortunately, instead of discouraging people to stay away from gambling some men of God are busy promoting gambling by providing lotto numbers to people on radio programs and in some churches, this is bad.

The District Assemblies working with District Education offices must be made to show interest in this program to kick out gambling among the youths in our schools and communities.

This way a way would be found to reduce the bad habits of sports betting generally in Ghana for our kids to learn to be morally upright to seek their good future through honest means.