By Joyce Danso, GNA
Accra Feb. 20, GNA - The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Wednesday urged Civil Society Organisations, religious groups, academia and right-thinking politicians to join efforts to push political parties to fulfil their promises to ban vigilante groups affiliated to them.
“We should be relentless in condemning vigilante groups that seek to threaten the integrity of the country’s democracy and peace,” Madam Josephine Nkrumah, the chairperson of the NCCE, said at a media conference.
“We should be relentless in condemning vigilante groups that seek to threaten the integrity of the country’s democracy and peace.
“The need to muster the political will or courage to have a go at vigilantism, is now.
The rhetoric must stop and we must see clear commitment by political parties to disband these groups in the interest of peace and stability in Ghana”.
Madam Nkrumah condemned Monday’s shooting incident at the headquarters of the National Democratic Congress in the Ashanti Region, Kumasi.
One person died, while another was seriously injured in the incident reported to have been undertaken by the pro-NDC group, the Hawk.
All stakeholders, Madam Nkrumah said, must, therefore, rise up and speak up against political parties and the leadership affiliated to such thugs.
Political thugs, she noted, had turned inward and were attacking their own, highlighting that these groups could no longer be controlled by their affiliate political parties.
“These acts are sowing seeds of political instability, crumbling the pillars of democracy and threatening peace in country, the NCCE boss stated.
“The NCCE will continue to condemn, name and shame all political parties who endorse, support, sponsor and identify themselves with any of these groups, until they are disbanded in words and in deed.”
While, commiserating with the bereaved family of Wasiu Iddrisu, the victim of the Kumasi attack, Madam Nkrumah appealed them to exercise restraint for the Police to carry out their investigations.
The Police are on a manhunt for four suspects: Husein Barnabas, alias, Warrior, Damos, Mijima and Abu Taliban.
Despite the Commission’s consistent and repeat alerts to political actors and leaders on the dangers, Madam Nkrumah said, political leaders and politicians continued to down play its warnings.
“Some individuals within political parties continue to make pronouncements that further embolden these violent groups who are used to fulfil the parochial and political interest of politician”.
Politicians were citizens before anything else, hence they must begin to respect the country’s peace and security that the 1992 Constitution guaranteed every citizen, she said.
She appealed to the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to continue to play his lead role in the fight to stamp out political violence.
Ms Nkrumah expressed optimism that the recommendations of the Justice Emile Short Commission would be embraced by all.
Mr Samuel Asare Akuamoah, the Deputy Chairman of NCCE in-charge of Operations, said the Commission would soon start a National Dialogue on Political vigilantism to seek varied opinions to nib the act in the bud.
Mr Akuamoah said it was important that the country secures a road map on the menace.
GNA
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