Akufo-Addo only 'pretending' to fight vigilante groups - Asiedu Nketia

General Secretary of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia says the framework which President Akufo-Addo has proposed as the final solution to the fight against vigilante groups in politics is not best.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated his government's commitment to end political vigilantism and violence; saying it shames us all as a country and that he will not tolerate it.

“That is why I am determined that hopefully the impending dialogue between the two major political parties, NDC and NPP succeeds. I will spare no effort including the initiation of the relevant legislation to ensure that we rid our national from politically related violence,” President Akufo-Addo said.

Reacting to it on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Asiedu Nketia insisted the insurgency of President Akufo- Addo to reduce the move to resolving political vigilantism between the ruling NPP and the main opposition NDC makes him to conceive the thought that the President does not want to disband vigilante groups.

“He is insisting that only NDC and NPP should sit on this issue of vigilantism. When you hear a comment like this, you might conceive the thought that the man [Nana Addo] doesn’t want to disband vigilante groups, but rather . . . he has to do something for people to think that he wants to do something about it . . . why is it that he is kicking against the move to involve other stakeholders to find final solution to it?” he asked.

He wondered why President Akufo-Addo is calling for serious national effort to eliminating political vigilantism and yet he abhors the proposition of the NDC to include all stakeholders who speak against vigilante groups to be part of the meeting.

He added that President Akufo-Addo’s proposal to have only the NPP and NDC in a meeting to find final solution to political vigilantism in the country will not consist of serious national effort the President talked about in his speech at the 62nd Independence Anniversary celebration.

He maintained that the only approach of President Akufo-Addo to help disband vigilante groups in the country is not the best; thus there should be a better framework as it will be prudent to have a mediator to settle dispute between two parties than asking them to resolve the issue.



“We should have a better framework. If two people are fighting and you ask them to resolve the issue as compared to bringing in another person to mediate the meeting, which of these will bring final solution to the problem?” he asked.

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed dismay over a letter by the National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo requesting mediators and facilitators of the dialogue between the two major political parties in the country.

It could be recalled that the President in his State of the Nation Address at Parliament this year urged both the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the largest opposition NDC to hold a meeting towards the disbandment of vigilante groups.

President Nana Akufo-Addo noted with concern the dangers that vigilante groups pose to the lives of Ghanaians following their attacks by them since the inception of the government and so believes the two main political parties can help dissolve the groups.

The groups are said to owe allegiance to either the NPP or NDC and at their behest have been terrorizing people in the country.