Party-affiliated groups are national security threat – Lecturer

The proliferation of political party-affiliated groups is a threat to Ghana’s national security, a Political Strategist has warned.

Dr. Kobby Mensah told Radio XYZ’s News Analysis programme, The Analyst on Saturday that such groups must be registered for security monitoring.

“God forbid, but should we have a case on our hands where there’s turmoil, these organisations could easily become factions [and] pick up arms. Do we know their leaders? We don’t. Do we know their addresses? We don’t,” the University of Ghana Lecturer observed.

He says: “It is very serious. We need to have a database of these organisations with the addresses of their leaders known. [We should see this as a] security threat, seriously. They’ve become so strong and so arrogant that they can just influence the political decision. I think it is very dangerous.”

A plethora of ad hoc groups spring up during internal party campaigns. They push for the candidature of their preferred candidates through fair or foul means. They sprout like mushrooms in their season during general elections too.

One such group recently defaced the President’s posters in the Upper West regional capital, Wa, protesting the reassignment of the roads and highways ministers Amin Amidu Sulemana to the region.

The pro-government group says the minister’s reassignment robs them of a representative at the Cabinet level.