Political vigilantism
THE NATIONAL Democratic Congress (NDC) has indicated that a meeting with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to end the vigilantism menace as proposed by President Akufo-Addo will only be a mere talk show if it is not led by government.
President Akufo-Addo, whilst delivering his third State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Thursday, February 21 in Accra, called on both the NDC and NPP to meet next week to resolve the vigilantism menace.
The president said should both parties fail to meet and resolve the menace which has led to murder of an NDC member by the NDC’s militia group (the Hawks) and the shooting incident at Ayawaso West, he will pass a legislation.
But Asiedu Nketia, in a live radio interview with Starr FM monitored by DGN Online, said President Akufo-Addo is pretending not to be part of the vigilantism menace.
He said if the president was serious about ending the menace, then it should be the state that leads the talk and not the NPP.
According to him, ending vigilantism is beyond two political parties, saying, “I would have preferred government engaging the NDC.”
He alleged that the vigilante groups were supported by the state.
He said the state was taking vigilante groups from the NPP and putting them into National Security.
He stressed that government has embedded NPP’s vigilante groups in National Security.
The proposal for the two parties to meet is not the solution, he added.
He stated that he does not see how a dialogue between NPP and NDC will clear vigilantes in state security.
“The president should clear the state security agencies of NPP’s hooligans,” he said.
Mr. Nketsia accused the president of trying to find ways to cleanse his image by behaving as if he is not part of the problem.
BY Melvin Tarlue