Vigilantism: Up your game – Peace Council to Police

The Ghana Police Service must up the ante to restore public confidence in the wake of threats by members of New Patriotic Party (NPP) vigilante group, Invincible Forces, that they are immune from arrest.

The group’s Northern regional commander Alhassan Ibrahim Abandi said all police commanders in the region have been told to refrain from ‘disturbing’ members of the group if they were suspected to be involved in a crime and should always notify leadership of the group anytime a member is arrested.

The chairman of the National Peace Council Rev. Emmanuel Asante has commended the Ghana Police Service for sustaining the peace over the past one year under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo but believes more can be done.

“They’ve done well but we expect them to do more,” Rev. Asante told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr on Thursday, January 11, 2018.

According to him, when it comes to the security performance of the government it has been “so far, so good”.

“We have had vigilantism creating havoc here and there but it’s not in a magnitude to the extent that people will say they can’t live here… You’ll never get a 100% peaceful situation in any part of the world. Not even in the US or UK,” Rev. Asante remarked.

The issue of vigilantism has been of major concern to political watchers, arguing it may dent the image of the government and the country in particular if it is not addressed. Former President John Dramani Mahama has warned that Ghana is entering what he calls dangerous times with the rise in vigilante groups in the country.

Speaking in an interview with Abdul Moomen on GTV, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ghana’s democracy, Mr Mahama called on civil society organisations to assist in addressing the issue to ensure the gains made with the peace and stability of the 4th Republic are not eroded.

“Ghana has earned the accolade as the beacon of democracy because the elections was largely successful and it’s not broken down into violence and bloodshed like we have seen in many other countries.

But let me caution we are entering into a very dangerous phase with the rise of all these vigilante groups,” Mr. Mahama warned.