Flashback: I fully endorse NDC’s Hawks, Dragons, vigilante groups – Asiedu Nketia

In 2018, the General Secretary of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, endorsed political party vigilante groups.

Vigilante groups such as the Hawks, Dragons, and others are groups that are often used by political parties to cause violence during elections in the country.

Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia's comment comes on the back of a claim by the National Democratic Congress that the governing New Patriotic Party has refused to disband its vigilante groups.

“I endorse it fully,” Mr. Asiedu Nketia told journalists, justifying that it’s a “proper response to the recalcitrance of the ruling government and their refusal to do anything about vigilantes on the NPP side”.

“You’d realize that for two years now we have all been complaining about the rising incidence of vigilantes in this country, the president promises that something will be done and nothing gets done, some of us have been affected by vigilante attack, yet nothing [has been done], nobody has been held responsible as we speak to you now.

Read the full story originally published on August 26, 2018 on GhanaWeb

General Secretary of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia has said he totally endorses the formation of vigilante groups within the party as a “natural response” to the governing New Patriotic Party’s refusal to disband its own vigilante groups.

“I endorse it fully”, Mr Asiedu Nketia told journalists, justifying that it’s a “proper response” to the “recalcitrance of the ruling government and their refusal to do anything about vigilantes on the NPP side.”

“You’d realise that for two years now we have all been complaining about the rising incidence of vigilantes in this country, the president promises that something will be done and nothing gets done, some of us have been affected by vigilante attack, yet nothing [has been done], nobody has been held responsible as we speak to you now.

“And they are now in charge of the security services and they still maintain party vigilantes terrorising people left right centre and all the security services are quiet.

“Even when you take steps to report, they don't take any action, so, are you saying that we on the NDC side, because we are good citizens, we should keep quiet for NPP to control the army, to control the police and to control everybody?”, he asked.

The NPP’s Invincible Forces and Delta Force groups ran amok when President Nana Akufo-Addo took office after the NPP won the 2016 elections.

In Mr Asiedu Nketia’s view, it was high time the NDC matched the NPP boot for boot.