Joseph Atogewe, a three-time prisoner of the Navrongo prisons has admonished the youth to desist from criminal activities as it has the potential to block their progress and in some instances cut short their lives.
Popular known as Big Zeroo, he recounted how he engaged in acts of crime which eventually landed him in prison on three separate instances. The incidents, he noted have directly affected his life and virtually grounded his opportunity to build a good future for himself.
He revealed in an interview on Dreamz fm’s Breakfast Today that his friends and accomplices have died while a few are currently serving long prison sentences.
“I started life with a lot of people in this game, I will say 75% to 80% of them are no more today. Some are serving high sentences in various prisons all over the country. I want to tell the youth, it is not a race, it is not a road that you should tread,” he said.
Following his release from prison in 2007, Joseph Atogewe is now a painter and poster of advertising materials in several parts of the upper east region and a committed member of Fountain Gate Chapel in Bolgatanga.
In his admonition, he stressed that proceeds from crime do not benefit an individual saying “It won’t benefit you; you can’t use it for anything. Even if you use crime money to build a house, I am telling you that at the end of the day, there will be consequences”.
He further advised “Why not let your parents pay the fees and you go to school. I will encourage them to look for something to do. It is better than what they think they are doing out there. The consequences are dire”.
