In a rare joint decision on vigilantism in the country, the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) yesterday declared ‘zero tolerance’ for the national security threat.
At the Police Headquarters Cafeteria yesterday, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu, was supported by his guest, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Lt. Gen Obed Boamah Akwa, to ask the political parties engaged in festering the security threat to stop it or face the full rigorous of the law.
After the IGP rendered his indignation at vigilantism and how the law enforcement would ensure that it is obliterated from the country’s political architecture, the CDS announced that the “Armed Forces are 100% behind the police in their action against the security threat.”
The IGP said political leaders, who make remarks suggesting their responsibility for the establishment of such vigilante groups “would be invited by the Police, profiled and probably appear before court.”
Speaking about the security situation in the country and coming against the backdrop of the recent Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election violence, the IGP did not mince words about the readiness of the law enforcement agency to deal with the recurring cankerworm in the country’s body-politics.
The police chief asked political leaders to forthwith denounce vigilantism as a first step towards eradicating the challenge in the country’s politics, something he said has its origin in pre-independence politics.
Work is being done silently by the police following the Ayawaso violence towards, as he put it, ‘finding a lasting solution to this recurrent menace.”
“This is to allow civil society groups, the media and the international community, as well as all necessary stakeholders in our democracy to do what they think can be done to stop this growing menace we call vigilantism.”
President’s Encouragement
Mr. Asante-Apeatu told the media that the police are encouraged by the position of President Akufo-Addo when he said in an address to the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi that “his government would tackle the menace of vigilantism head-on.”
“The President said he would walk the path of making reality the principle of the rule of law, the idea of equality of every citizen before the law and that ‘wrong doers wear no political colour.”
Need To Do More
The IGP recalled how vigilantism has engaged the attention of successive IGPs from ERT Madjitey to Peter Nanfuri to date, adding that “the results show that we either need to do more or do something different.”
Parties’ Complaints
Political parties, he said, have had reasons to complain about the actions of their own vigilante groups.
“The public also lament over the activities of these politically created thorns in our democratic flesh, which if not halted, is gradually becoming our defined political culture.”
Wrong Prescription
“The truth is that if you prescribe a security solution to a politically motivated problem, you may only be reducing the pain but not curing the disease.”
This, he said, is the reason why the Police from independence have had to battle with the problem.
Impetus For Police
The collective condemnation of vigilantism, the IGP said, has given the law enforcement agency the impetus to begin to think afresh knowing that the public will stand with them in enforcing the law without fear or favour.
Policing by consent, he said, “is a strong and principal policing standard and we do believe that when the axe falls without consideration of which political party a person belongs to, the people of Ghana will stand with us.”
While appealing to political parties to immediately denounce their own vigilante groups to create the necessary awareness that will embolden the police, he said “this battle is national in character and we need all hands on deck.”
The CDS’ Word
When he took his turn, the CDS said “We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Ghana Police Service in maintaining law and order.”
The Armed Forces, he said, would continue to jointly partner the police in undertaking the various security operations such as ‘Operation Calm Life’ and others.
“We stand 100% behind the IGP in a zero tolerance for political vigilantism,” he said and added that vigilantes engage in security protocols without authority.
Supporting the IGP to host the media and the CDS were members of the Police management board and the Greater Accra and Tema Regional Police Commanders.
By A.R. Gomda