Political vigilantism is a scourge on the country, that is undeniable; what is also true about this monstrosity foisted on Ghanaians by the two major political parties is that it is relentless and threatening to our survival as a free and democratic society.
With this danger looming over our heads like the sword of Damocles Ghanaians have been quick to remind politicians of their moral obligation, in fact, what is their solemn duty to protect and preserve the security and integrity of the nation.
Numerous calls by certain segments of the Ghanaian population —NGOS, religious leaders and civil society organizations — to disband the various vigilante groups have not been heeded by our politicians for obvious reasons; instead they have dragged their feet on the issue and taken their sweet time to even come to a consensus on what is the best approach to curtail the influence and power of vigilante groups.
The one individual with the power and authority to put an end to the rampaging vigilante groups is the President, Mr. Akuffo Addo. Unfortunate and dangerous for the country, Mr. Addo has demonstrated no leadership on the vexed issue or shown maximum and sustained interest except to pay lip service to fighting vigilantism in his State of the Nation address a fortnight ago and in his independence day celebration speech in Tamale last week.
Now that Manansseh Azure Awuni has dropped a bombshell of a video depicting the NPP grooming and training a militia squad in the former seat of government, the Osu Castle, Ghanaians can understand why Mr. Addo has been so reluctant and uncomfortable confronting the menace of vigilantism head-on.
Caught with its pants down, the NPP is fighting mightily to preserve its reputation and to deny charges from a variety of groups, especially, the minority in parliament that it is complicit in the political violence that is increasingly becoming so common these days.
One vital takeaway from Manasseh’s explosive video is that the president is deeply invested in vigilantism and that is putting it mildly; he is actively encouraging thuggish behavior for purely partisan reasons; he desperately wants to cling to power at all cost even if it means the ultimate disintegration of the country.
The avalanche of denials, stonewalling, attacks on Manasseh and outright lies by the information minister, Oppong Nkrumah who is rapidly morphing into a habitual peddler of falsehoods can’t shield the president and by extension the NPP from accusations that they are nation wreckers.
Mr. Addo and his party apparently are more interested in their own welfare than in the overall good and welfare of Ghana. That is shameful and anathema to our core values; our democratic bona-fides are at stake here.
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