Private Militia: NPP denies De-Eye group

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) have distanced themselves from the latest exposé by Manasseh Azure that the party is allegedly training a militia group at Osu Castle.

This follows an exposé by investigative journalist Manessah Azuri Awuni which revealed that the Osu Castle is being used as a training camp for a militia group affiliated to the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The Minority in parliament has taken a keen interest in the matter and further called on President Akufo-Addo to resign as they believe he has “lost all moral right” to occupy the high office” due to exposé .

However In a Statement signed by the Director of Communication of the party, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, the party said: “NPP wishes to state UNEQUIVOCALLY FOR THE RECORDS that it has no connection to the purported group shown in the documentary.”

According to him, the party has not established any such group and is neither affiliated to nor supports one.

”However, it is significant that in seeking to make a point about militias or vigilantes, the news commentary makes obvious and extensive resort to footage from the ongoing public inquest into the violence related events of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election. Nowhere in the footage shown is the subject persons or specific identified group seen or connected to any violent activities.

”In the event, the NPP believes that given President Akufo-Addo’s open and public commitment and determination to uprooting the menace of politically related violence, the political parties and indeed civil society at large, especially the media, have a responsibility to confront the issue candidly, without preconditions. Media commentary ought to give even more impetus to the Presidents’ demonstrated and undoubted will and purpose of facilitating and securing the participation of the two major political parties in constructive dialogue.

The NPP urges its counterpart the NDC, to emulate the President’s sincerity in demanding that the parties go into talks and to do so aided by any inputs available from diverse sources.
That way, the NPP believes that the wider public can participate in resolving the vexed question of politically related violence once and for all.” the statement further indicated.