Sam George’s ‘Azorka boys’ comments dent on vigilantism fight - Nana Akomea

Former Communications Director of governing NPP, says comments by Ningo-Prampram MP, Sam George on political vigilantism at the ongoing Ayawaso West Wuogon Commission of Enquiry draws back the fight against the menace.

Nana Akomea claims he was taken aback by the views expressed by Sam George that pro-NDC vigilante groups are in fact not known to the party but are community-based organisations that engage in philanthropic activities.

Sam George gave this view in response to a question posed to him by the Counsel for the Short Commission seeking his opinion on the vigilantism on Monday, February 25, 2019, when he appeared before the Commission to give his testimony on events that characterized the Wuogon by-election.

He opined that those who refer to the Azorka Boys as a vigilante group are misinformed.

“I can state for a fact without equivocation that the party I belong to, the NDC, does not have any vigilante group,” he said.

He stressed that “the NDC is a corporate organisation which has procedures for integrating members. These groups have not undergone such processes to be integrated into the structures of the party to be recognised.”

“I will refer to them as a community-based organization. I witnessed the commissioning of a borehole project by the Azorka Boys that has been done based on community engagements in the area,” he added.

It is on the back of these comments that Nana Akomea, CEO of State Transport Company took to his Facebook page to state that, “My good friend Sam Dzata George. The value of your testimony yesterday as part of our national effort to deal with political party vigilantism was totally destroyed by your assertions that the Hawks and Azorka Boys are actually Community Based Organisations. Phew.”



The President in his recent State of the Nation Address highlighted the need to rid the country of party militias announcing, “I want to use the platform of this message 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.”

“If voluntary disbandment by the parties is not feasible, then I will initiate legislation on the matter. Vigorous debate and the exchange of ideas should be the true basis of political dialogue and competition in our country, not the activities of party vigilante groups,” he added.