Professor Kwasi Aning, the Director, Faculty of Academic Affairs at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), is worried how political party affiliated vigilante groups, thought to have been disbanded, have managed to infiltrate the state’s security apparatus.
“What this means is that the optimistic, celebratory talk around the disbandment which the National Peace Council led is nothing but a sham and this is the fifth vigilante related incident recorded this year alone,” he bemoaned.
Following the attacks of the operatives on Citi FM’s journalist Caleb Kudah and the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) (Rtd) Kweku Ayensu Opare-Addo, concerns have been raised on the lawfulness of their modus operandi and the effect of their operations on the citizenry.
DCOP (Rtd) Opare-Addo, the latest victim of the attacks, stated that he had identified 4 out of the 7 security operatives as former members of the Delta Force vigilante group and in 2020, following politically related violence at the by-election conducted at the Ayawaso West Wuogon Electoral Area in the Greater Accra Region, the citizenry made several calls to end political violence perpetrated by party activists known as ‘vigilantes’.
A strategic plan for eliminating vigilantism, titled ‘The Roadmap to Eradicating Political Vigilantism in Ghana’, facilitated by the National Peace Council, was initiated and was agreed to by the country’s two main political parties, the new Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
However, Prof. Aning describing them as “a law unto themselves”, had found their way into the security apparatus to legalise their unlawful conduct and pointed out that “what we are seeing and by specifically mentioning Delta Forces, it is showing you those who are members of these powerful groups are a law unto themselves.
“The phraseology National Security is only used in an ad hoc and opportunistic manner to clothe themselves with authority and power to be able to abuse people’s rights and to undermine authority of the state and because DCOP (Rtd) Opare-Addo’s appointment was by “Presidential Commission”, actions of the operatives “challenge authority of the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces,” he intimated.
Prof. Aning warned that the situation was dangerous, getting out of hand and must not be allowed to continue. –myjoyonline.com
