A SECURITY expert, Dr. Ishmael Norman has sounded a word of caution against emotional discussions on political parties vigilantism in the country.
Contributing to a discussion on Joy FM’s Ghana Connects talkshow on Friday March 8, 2019, Dr. Norman complained about the emotional approach being adopted by media houses, especially Joy FM and a section of Ghanaians on the issue of political vigilantism.
Joy FM hosts for the talkshow including its head of security, Gifty, had called Dr. Norman into the show, describing political vigilantes as party militias.
The station had also described political vigilantism as a “monster and animal” that Ghanaians have had to deal with.
The discussion comes barely a day after Joy FM and its investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure claimed they had uncovered a secret pro New Patriotic Party (NPP) “militia” named the De-Eye Group being trained at the Osu Castle in Accra.
But Dr. Norman seemed to have suggested that Joy News was exaggerating the issues surrounding political vigilantism with its description of political or parties militias.
He noted emphatically that the current groups in Ghana cannot be called “militias” as the station is pushing to make Ghanaians think.
Speaking from an expert point of view, he noted that “we are talking about political vigilantism which in other countries they call it Zongo Zongo. And then we are talking about regime control vigilantism.”
In the discussions monitored by DGN Online, Dr. Norman schooled Joy FM and some of the panelists on the show that “what the Manasseh’s video shows is a combination of regime control where these guys are there because they want to show power.”
He pointed out that it was unfair the manner in which the station was seeking to promote the concept of political militia which the country has not arrived at, saying “we are getting away with emotions.”
He added that “I think we are confusing things too much and it makes the discussion little bit irresponsible.”
BY Melvin Tarlue