Election violence: Let’s allow the justice system to work – Paul Aborampa

Paul Aborampa, Programs Manager at the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), has advised Ghanaians to allow the institutions of justice to carry out their mandate without interference and undue pressure. He noted that such independence in the administration of justice would go a long way in curbing the scourge of vigilantism that the country has been battling for some time.

During the inauguration of the Law House in Accra, President Akufo-Addo assured Ghanaians that the government would not sit idly by and allow vigilantes to have their way in the upcoming 2024 elections.

However, speaking on the Morning Starr with Francis Abban, Mr. Aborampa attributed the continued existence of vigilante groups in the political space to the lenient penal regimes prosecutors opted for when charging culprits belonging to such groups.

"Since the promulgation of ACT 999 in 2019, prosecutors still proffer cases from the old criminal code. If someone offends and is charged 10 penalty units, 20 penalty units, which is 250 Ghana cedis, 550 cedis, even their younger brothers can pay. So, we are just advocating for something we are not practicing," he warned.

"If ACT 999 is enforced and those affected by the ACT publicize it for their colleagues to know the intensity and gravity of the ACT, we will still continue to talk about these issues at every function," he added.

The Senior Programmes Officer at CDD-Ghana revealed that Members of Parliament who worked with vigilante groups in the past had come to recognize the urgent need to rid the country of their influence.

Addressing arguments that opposition members would be left vulnerable to attacks from state security agencies should the vigilante groups be banned, Mr. Aborampa categorically noted that such allegations were usually talking points by successive oppositions, which were not based on fact.

He challenged politicians who made claims to that effect to back them up with evidence.

He further observed that electoral violence was "cyclical," in that when offenders were let off the hook, others would be encouraged to do the same.

He was convinced that the government had failed to make vigilantism unattractive by enforcing the tough penalties as provided for in ACT 999.

"I'm not seeing it because of a lack of enforcement," he said. "I'm not seeing it because of a lack of action."