Vigilantism: Stop hiding and take responsibility – Ablakwa

Minority Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has slammed President Akufo-Addo for detaching himself from disturbing phenomenon of vigilantism in the country.

President Akufo-Addo served notice during Thursday’s State of the Nation Address he would initiate a legislation to deal with the growing vigilantism menace in the country if the two main political parties —NPP and NDC – fail to address it immediately.

“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,” he said.

According to the North Tongu lawmaker, however, President Akufo-Addo’s attempt to wean himself from the scourge is disheartening.

“The president came as though he’s removed from the problem. He says he had spoken to the NPP National executives, they should go and meet their NDC counterparts when we all know that these groups existed under him as an opposition leader,” Ablakwa told Starr News Thursday.

“They worked in his name. We saw what happened at the NPP headquarters. So I want him to adopt a different posture. He should acknowledge that he’s part of the problem. He should take responsibility and lead from the front not from behind his national executives,” he added.

Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) Bernard Mornah also criticised the President as out of touch.

“I think that the President appears to have lost touch with reality. Is the President saying that we don’t have legislation to deal with vigilantism and political thuggery in this country and crimes and that if the NPP and NDC failed, their leadership failed to proffer solution to the creeping violence he is going to legislate?” Monah wondered moments after the President ended his address in an interaction with Starr News.

“There are sufficient laws. The security agencies are empowered already to deal with crimes of any form. Vigilantism and political groupings of violence or for violence are not part of the laws of this country and therefore the laws exist to deal with them. But the President is oblivious of these and come to say that if they fail he will institute a legislation in order to contain the situation I will say that the President has lost touch,” he maintained.

Meanwhile, former president Jerry John Rawlings lauded the call on political party leaders to disband militias within their setup.

In a tweet, Rawlings called on the political parties to heed the directive to safeguard the peace being enjoyed currently.