Disband All Vigilante Groups – Ayariga Tells Nana Addo

The Founder and Leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), Dr. Hassan Ayariga, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to, with immediate effect, disband the activities of all vigilante groups affiliated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

This, according to him, will go a long way in ensuring that other political parties do not encourage the formation of such groups.

Obviously not pleased with the security trend in the country, Dr. Ayariga said his party vehemently condemns the endorsement of political vigilantism since their activities, more often than not, inhibits national peace and security.

He made this call at a press conference held at the Party’s headquarters in Accra yesterday.

“If the President wants us to disband all the vigilante groups, he should stand on his feet and say from today, as the leader of the NPP I disband the Delta Forces, I disband Invincible Forces and let’s see if the police won’t take them up,” he said.

Ayariga continued: “They don’t want to disband them but we will force them to disband them no matter what it takes because we can all form vigilante groups.”

For the APC leader, if the vigilante groups and their activities are not checked, others will follow with no inhibitions.

“I will not form the invisible forces, I will form the visible force and you will see them coming to you so let us not get to that point. We are pleading with government to do the right thing and the rest of us will follow,” he requested.

Ayariga further appealed to the General Secretary of NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia to come out with an apology to Ghanaians for recently endorsing “NDC Hawks, Lions and Dragons”.

The Constitution

Though the laws of the land allow politically parties to freely participate in shaping the political will of the people and to disseminate information on political ideas, Article 55 (5) of the 1992 Constitution charges these same politically parties to conform to democratic.

It is in this regard that many have argued that any political party that forms vigilante groups would be acting in contravention to the laws.

Vigilante Groups

The two leading parties, NPP and NDC have had cause to openly and sometimes secretly fund the activities of such gangs to protect them and the ballot.

Popular vigilante groups in Ghana include; Delta Forces, Azorka Boys, Invincible Forces, Bamba Boys, Kandahar Boys and recently, the Hawks just to mention a few.

By: Grace Ablewor Sogbey/ [email protected]