NDC doesn’t have vigilante groups – Sam George
The Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram Constituency, Samuel Nartey George has denied that his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) owns a vigilante group.
There is growing public concern over political vigilantism in the country with some high profile incidents linked to groups affiliated with both the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the opposition NDC.
Although stakeholders have called for concerted efforts from the two main political parties to disband them, the MP insists the official records of the NDC do not include the presence of vigilante groups within the party.
“What I know for a fact and can state without equivocation is that the party I belong to –the National Democratic Congress – does not have any vigilante group. The two groups I told you I was familiar with; Azorka boys and Hawks are groups that hold allegiance to individuals. I will not refer to them as vigilante groups but community-based organizations. So, let me state for the record that the NDC has no vigilante group.”
“These are groups that have been put up by individuals, but they are not recognized or affiliated to the NDC. The NDC is a body corporate in law that has a constitution with procedures of affiliations for groups that are not part of the NDC,” he stressed.
Disband your vigilante groups – IGP to political parties
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu earlier urged political parties to disband their vigilante groups said to be causing mayhem in the country.
Mr. Apeatu explained that just a security approach to vigilantism might not be adequate.
“The truth is that if we prescribe a security solution to a politically motivated problem, you may only be reducing the pain but not curing the disease.”
Critics of the New Patriotic Party have questioned the party’s commitment in dealing with vigilante groups after incidents ranging from raids of police stations, courts and regional security councils occurred under their government.
There have been over 20 high profile incidents of political action with no significant arrests or prosecutions.
In November 2017, the government set up a task-force to investigate some of the vigilante disturbances after public uproar.
Stop party vigilantism or I’ll do so with legislation – Nana Addo to NDC, NPP
President Akufo-Addo has added his voice to calls by various civil society groups and international agencies for the two major political parties in the country to disband their vigilante groups.
He said he had instructed the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) which he belongs to, to extend an invitation to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to discuss how to disband their respective vigilante groups.
Akufo-Addo said the phenomenon of political vigilantism has the potential of destabilizing the country and reversing the democratic gains the country has made over the years.
“I want to use the platform of this Message to make a sincere, passionate appeal to the leaders of the two main political parties in our country, NPP and NDC, to come together, as soon as possible, preferably next week, to agree on appropriate measures to bring an end to this worrying and unacceptable phenomenon of vigilantism in our body politic,” he said.
Vigilantism in Ghana
The phenomenon of vigilantism has become a topical issue in the country following a surge in acts of physical attacks and assaults carried out by members of vigilante groups aligned to Ghana’s major political parties, NDC and NPP.
Some of these attacks have resulted in death and injuries on victims including innocent citizens.
Recently, the presence of some masked and armed men at a polling station during the Ayawaso Wuogon by-election sparked conversations on the matter.
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Source: citinewsroom