FOSDA expresses joy over outcome of political vigilantism talks

The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), a regional civil society organisation, has expressed joy over the current outcome of the dialogue between the two major political parties to end vigilantism.

Mrs Theodora Williams Anti, the Programmes Manager of FOSDA, said the decision by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to include; civil society organisations (CSOs) in their dialogue towards eradicating political vigilantism in the country was a laudable one.

Mrs Anti, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said engaging stakeholders such as representatives of CSOs, security agencies and religious bodies, would expand the conversation from political to social, economic, and technical underpinnings of the phenomenon for a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the issue of vigilantism in Ghana.

She said an agreement reached by the two major political parties on the immediate scope of the dialogue, including; key stakeholders and experts was inclusive and commendable.

“Mrs Anti said civil society involvement was crucial to the dialogue and efforts to address vigilantism because there were various levels of expertise and experiences within that sphere, that will be helpful to the process. “Civil society engages the politicians, political parties, foot soldiers and the people from grassroot to national level, hence, will have a lot to bring to bare.” She noted that CSOs were also social engineers, with built capacities to solve social problems. She said it would be important, however, that the relevant stakeholders and civil society were invited to participate; adding that it would be counter productive, if despite the space created the right organisations and experts were not engaged.

“We commend the National Peace Council for laudable role played so far,” Mrs Anti said.

“We urge them to remain independent and objective.”

She said Ghana might be at the cusp of ending vigilantism provided Ghanaians were all ready to sacrifice, accommodate and let Ghana Win.

It would be recalled that President Akufo-Addo in his State of the Nation Address in Parliament on thursday, February 21, called on the leadership of the two main leading political parties (NPP and NDC) to help find a lasting solution to the menace of political vigilantism in Ghana.