Era of 'Delta and Invincible Forces' is over - Sammy Awuku assures

The National Youth Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Sammy Awuku has assured Ghanaians that the era of violence by the party's vigilante groups has come to an end.

Vigilantism has become a popular term in the political dictionary of the various political parties in the country. There seems to be an influx of vigilante groups which have cropped up to share sympathies with their political employers or figures.

Though vigilantism, according to Word web dictionary, is referred to as "actions of a vigilance committee in trying to enforce the laws"; recent actions by vigilante groups since the inception of the Akufo-Addo administration has been characterized by violence instead of a conscience to enforce Ghana's constitution.

From pro-NPP vigilante groups, 'Delta Force' to 'invincible Force', the governing NPP has suffered another impact of violence orchestrated by some youth group affiliated with the NPP at Karaga in the Northern Region.

The angry youth at Karaga chased out the Youth Employment Coordinator in the Karaga district, also locked up the DCE's office and set a motorbike ablaze to register their displeasure with the DCE.

According to him, the dominant groups - 'Delta and invincible Forces' - after being advised by him (Sammy Awuku) and other leaders of the party have become an asset to the nation rather than militant groups.

He noted that the groups went violent because they felt the party had neglected them after fighting hard for it to come into power.

He was speaking during a panel discussion on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' programme.

Sammy Awuku opined that the groups raised legitimate concerns which the party's leadership has addressed.

Regarding the Karaga issue and other vigilante groups' actions, Sammy Awuku distanced the party from such incidents.

He stated that apart from 'Delta and invincible Forces' among other few vigilante groups, the NPP has no affiliations with any other group that causes violence in the name of the party.

To him, it has become a strategy by the opposition parties to pick on the NPP whenever a militant group emerges.

He also cautioned that sometimes people cook up stories or associate every vigilante group with the NPP just to make political gains.

Sammy Awuku stressed optimistically that the major vigilante groups - Delta and Invisible Forces - will never terrorize the country again, emphasizing that “it will be difficult to hear anything bad about them but it doesn’t mean we, the party executives, will ignore them. They have concerns. They have needs. They feel that as the government has come, we owe it to help them to earn a living.”