Ex-CPP chair accuses NDC, NPP of insincerity in ending vigilantism

Former vice chairperson of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Rhodaline Imoro Ayana, has questioned the sincerity of the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party in disbanding their respective vigilante groups.

For Ms Ayana, the stance taken at the first meeting of the two leading political parties in respect of the approach towards disbandment of political party vigilantes, smacks of insincerity.

The two parties, Tuesday met on the request of the National Peace Council, to find pragmatic solution to the scourge of political vigilantism in the country.

Even though the parties agreed at the meeting to disband the groups, they disagreed on how exactly it should be done.

While the NDC called for a total disbandment of all vigilante groups, the NPP insisted only political vigilante groups should be disbanded. The NPP did not also agree to the identification of the vigilante groups before they are banned.

The meeting thus ended abruptly, with the NDC expressing disappointment at the turn of events.

But speaking on TV3’s New Day Wednesday, the CPP former vice chair, observed that both parties have not been honest in their approach to the issue of disbanding political vigilante groups.

She said the parties do not want to admit the fact that they have vigilantes in their own fold.

“I will like to say that the two parties; that is the NPP and the NDC are not being sincere to Ghanaians. In the first instance, they will have to accept that they do have vigilantes in their midst and this they have denied,” she said.



According to her, it is mere rhetoric for the parties to issue statements to condemn and disassociate themselves from acts of vigilantism when they arise. She expects a more practical solution to the problem than the statements that are usually issued.

Ms Ayana was also disappointed that the parties did not own up to the vigilante groups in their first meeting, which was supposed to set the foundation for further engagements towards banning such groups.

“So this particular meeting that they [NPP and NDC] had, I expected that the first thing was to agree that there was a problem and that they do have vigilantes, I am totally disappointed and I don’t think they really want to solve this problem,” she lamented.

While condemning the two parties, she partly agreed with the NDC’s call for a multi-stakeholder engagement on the matter, noting the National Peace Council, Civil Society Organisations, and other well-meaning Ghanaians are better placed to help find a lasting solution to the menace of vigilantism.

She thus advised the parties to give as much information as possible to the security agencies for a possible identification and regulation.

“Moving forward I think that they should agree that they have vigilantes, the members are the ones that own them, and they should give us a list of members to leaders of this vigilantes and the police must invite these leaders and ask them to disband them,” she advised.