Vigilantism not way to go – NDC National Organizer hopeful

An aspiring National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Enoch Akwesi Amoako Nsiah, has said vigilantism in Ghana’s politics should not be countenanced.

He has, therefore, called on the two main political parties, the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) not to condone the activities of vigilante groups.

Mr Nsiah explained on Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM hosted by Chief Jerry Forson on Thursday, 6 September that although there are some vigilante groups that claim to be associated with the NDC and providing security for its members, the party, as a body, has not formed any such groups.

Rather, he said the NPP, as a party, has admitted forming such groups, which, in his view, are fomenting trouble in the country.

“The NDC as a party has not formed any vigilante group,” he said, adding that: “The Azorka Boys we all know of, was formed by an individual who happened to be a member of the NDC, it was sanctioned by the NDC.”

He added: “The NPP as a body has admitted forming vigilante groups and these boys are attacking people including judges and police officers and nothing is happening to them.”

Meanwhile, General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has said he totally endorses the formation of vigilante groups within the NDC as a “natural response” to the governing New Patriotic Party’s refusal to disband its own vigilante groups.

“I endorse it fully”, Mr Asiedu Nketia told journalists, justifying that it’s a “proper response” to the “recalcitrance of the ruling government and their refusal to do anything about vigilantes on the NPP side”.

“You’d realise that for two years now we have all been complaining about the rising incidence of vigilantes in this country, the president promises that something will be done and nothing gets done, some of us have been affected by vigilante attacks, yet nothing [has been done], nobody has been held responsible as we speak to you now.

“And they are now in charge of the security services and they still maintain party vigilantes terrorising people left right centre and all the security services are quiet.

“Even when you take steps to report, they don’t take any action, so, are you saying that we on the NDC side, because we are good citizens, we should keep quiet for NPP to control the army, to control the police and to control everybody?”, he asked.

The NPP’s Invincible Forces and Delta Force groups ran amok when President Nana Akufo-Addo took office after the NPP won the 2016 elections.

In Mr Asiedu Nketia’s view, it was high time the NDC matched the NPP boot for boot.