Asiedu Nketia
Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Obiri Boahen has chastised the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for dragging its feet in responding to the President’s proposed meeting between the two big parties to discuss ways to end political vigilantism in the country.
According to him, the party has shown bad faith in following the President’s call for the two major political parties known to have command over the various vigilante groups to attempt a plausible solution to end the situation.
President Akufo-Addo on February 21, 2019, whilst delivering his third State of the Nation Address (SoNA), called on both the NDC and the NPP leaders to meet within a week to deliberate on how to disband all political militia groups in the country.
The President’s call came after the killing of an NDC member in Kumasi by the ‘Hawks,’ a militia group linked to the NDC, and the shooting incident during the January 31, 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
The President had warned both parties that should they refuse to meet, he would pass a legislation to deal with the canker.
The NPP was said to be taking steps in meeting the NDC to dialogue on how to bring a lasting solution to the political vigilantism menace in the country.
But the NDC, in a February 28 written response, stated that it was prudent that the call for a disbandment is extended to not only the NDC and the NPP, but also all political parties, civil society organisations, representatives of the media, representatives of the military, police and other security agencies, as well as any other relevant stakeholders.
According to the statement signed by the party’s National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo and copied to the Chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay, as well as the Chairman of the National Peace Council, the party proposed that the National Peace Council be appointed as the mediator for such a meeting.
The NDC appears to be playing hide and seek with the call to stem vigilantism in the county, causing the President to tell the embattled National Chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, that neither he nor the NPP needs political party thugs to win the 2020 elections.
In a recent development, the Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Obiri Boahen, has criticised the NDC for being “disingenuous” with its letter and showing bad faith after the two parties had agreed to formalize the meeting.
Speaking to Accra-based Citi FM, he said the NDC always wanted to create a scenario for people to chastise politicians.
“Our National Chairman called their National Chairman and in principle we agreed that we formalize the meeting. It was after that phone call that they came out with that letter. They are exhibiting bad faith. The letter they wrote was quite disingenuous, so it is not fair. They always want to create a scenario for people to run down politicians,” Mr. Obiri-Boahen said.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak