I won’t resign – Interior Minister Mark Woyongo

Minister for the Interior, Mark Woyongo, has dismissed calls for his resignation over the “violence begets violence” comments he made on a Kumasi based radio station.

Such demands, he said, are baseless and unfounded.

“Resign for what? When people said all die be die – we have Atiwa and all sorts of nasty incidents in the past … how many people resigned? he asked in an interview with Fiifi Banson on Anopa Kasapa on Kasapa 102.3 FM Thursday.

When reminded by Banson that those who made those pronouncements were not in positions as ministers of state at that time, the Interior Minister retorted “you mean when we had the Atiwa by-election we had no minister in charge of the Interior?”

He wondered why people are taking his “violence begets violence” comments out of context, saying ” it is too simple for people to make such calls.”

He added “violence begets violence is a truism. If you don’t perpetrate violence, there won’t be a reaction. I made that point very clear but that doesn’t mean I am justifying violence and that I am supporting it and endorsing it, no.”

According to him, what he meant over his remarks was the need to look into the background of the groupings that perpetrated violence during the Talensi by-election and take a decision on them.

“If they are operating legally, we have to streamline their operations. If they are not operating illegally, we have to ban them.”

During the Talensi by-election, there were reports of violence perpetrated by the Azorka boys, who are affiliated to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Bolgatanga Bull Dogs and Invincible forces of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The actions of these grouping were described by Mr. Woyongo as “violence begets violence” when contacted by Kumasi based Ultimate FM.

Since then, there have been calls for his resignation by a cross-section of the public as well as some pressure groups.

But when asked by Banson if he feels pressured by such calls, the Interior Minister said, ” I am not under pressure in any way. I know for a fact that even my own people when I got to the party office in Tongo, they were shouting that they were not happy with me because I have tied their hands and allowed the other side to attack them. The other side too didn’t spare me either. So, it is neither here nor there.”