The presidential candidate for the All People’s Congress (APC) has said that the craze for sports betting among the youth of the country tends to retard their development and, by extension, the future of the country if pragmatic measures are not taken to address the predicament.
Dr. Ayariga, who made the observation, noted that the alarming rate at which youth are engaging in sports betting is a serious issue that cannot be underestimated.
He added that the youth of today are too obsessed with betting at the expense of productive ventures that could improve their livelihoods.
In an interview with the National Times, Dr. Ayariga disclosed that this social menace is gradually turning most youth into addicts, a situation he described as very worrying and dangerous.
Dr. Ayariga bemoaned that the social canker, if not checked, can have dire consequences for the future prospects of Ghanaian youth.
In his view, it is unacceptable for the Ghanaian youth to limit themselves to this lazy approach to making money in an era where their counterparts are pursuing goals that could benefit even generations yet unborn in other jurisdictions.
He urged the government to take pragmatic steps to control the youth from the activities of the betting companies to protect children from the glaring inherent adverse effects of the betting industry.
This way, it would not only safeguard the future of the youth but also promote the general productivity of the country, as sections of the workforce also prioritise betting ahead of profitable work.
By Lawrence Odoom
