The Christian Council of Ghana has called on the government to take a decisive measure against political party vigilantism in the country. It said the government must first admit the problems the New Patriotic Party (NPP)-affiliated vigilante groups are causing in the country, and find a way to clamp down on their activities.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, the General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni Frimpong, expressed shock at the violent attacks by the vigilante groups despite the “voice of wisdom” of the President urging them to refrain from all unlawful acts.
“We are done with the elections, we are done with the transition and now everybody is praying that the new administration will have space to govern. You have party members, not the opposition, people from within who have gathered courage and cannot be stopped… What we are saying is that at least the government must admit that all is not well, that the people from their own circle have gathered courage that even when the president has spoken, they can defy the voice of wisdom,” he said.
The commitment of the Akufo-Addo government was called into question following heightened acts of violence undertaken by vigilante groups affiliated to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In most of the instances, arrests are not made, and in the few instances of arrests, the suspects are either released later or serve lenient punishments when they are tried in court.
Critics of the government, who have questioned the party’s commitment in dealing with vigilante groups acting lawlessly in their name, were emboldened last week when another group of rampaging NPP youth, invaded a police station and freed party communicators who were in police custody.
But according to the National Youth Organizer of the NPP, Sammy Awuku, the party cannot be blamed for the lawless acts.
Reacting to allegations of lack of commitment in dealing with the matter, he said the party had not sanctioned any group to carry out any such offense, and that the police must do the needful.
He further called on security agencies to deal decisively with anyone found to have flouted the country’s laws without party considerations. –