Party Militias: Akufo-Addo's disbandment order fake – Ahi

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was not sincere with his directive to the two main political parties, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), to disband all party-affiliated militia groups, Bodi MP, Sampson Ahi, has said.

According to him, Mr Akufo-Addo and the NPP are direct beneficiaries of such militia groups in Ghana and, therefore, cannot dissolve them.

Mr Ahi told Accra100.5FM’s parliamentary correspondent in an interview that Mr Akufo-Addo’s call should not be trusted because he did not mean it.

Delivering his third state of the nation address in parliament on Thursday, 21 February 2019, Nana Akufo-Addo said: “I want to make a sincere passionate appeal to the leaders of the two main political parties in our country – NPP and NDC – to come together as soon as possible, preferably next week, to agree on appropriate measures to bring an end to this worrying and unacceptable phenomenon of vigilantism in our body politic.

“Mr Speaker, I’ve asked the leadership of the NPP to extend an invitation to the leadership of the NDC for such a meeting. The security services of the country will be on standby to assist such a meeting. If voluntary disbandment by the parties is not feasible, then I’ll initiate legislation in the matter.”

Mr Ahi, however, said: “The call is not from his heart, he doesn’t mean it, he is only talking.”

The opposition MP added: “The president is a direct beneficiary of vigilantism in Ghana. He formed the groups when he was in opposition because, as he himself said, he did not trust the police. And, so, how can he disband them?”

“He won’t do it because it benefited him. We in the NDC have always said that these vigilante groups should be disbanded but the NPP doesn’t call for such action.

“They can’t because they benefit from it. I don’t have any confidence in what Akufo-Addo has said.”