IGP warns: No mercy for vigilante groups

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), John Kudalor, has reiterated his vow to clamp down on all activities of vigilante groups within the various political parties in the country.

The IGP has insisted that their activities are illegal and the intended crackdown forms part of measures by security officials to prevent election-related violence to maintain peace during the November 7 general elections.

At a conference to address youth groups of political parties at the police headquarters on Thursday, 10 March, 2016, the IGP warned that anyone, who would cause chaos before, during, or after the elections, will not be spared.

“No matter which political divide you come from, if you breach the law then we have no other option than to use the full rigours of the law at our disposure,” he stated.

He continued: “The last election held in Talensi saw the manifestation of political violence by vigilantes, which calls for a consistent engagement with our youth of political parties for peaceful elections. In consistence with the proactive philosophy of the national elections security task force, the police plans to meet the youth in each region on what has been termed, ‘The IGP’s dialogue with the youth’.

Meanwhile, political parties have been reacting to the statement, with the Convention People’s Party (CPP) insisting that the police have been talking for a very long time without any action.

Ernesto Yeboah, the Commander-in-Chief of the Youth League of the CPP told Class FM’s Atiewin Mbillah that the police should speak on the adoption of a more credible voter roll and not engage in “public relations gimmicks”.

“We are urging the IGP to go further beyond speaking to political parties and adopt a more proactive force of policing that will rather look or question the basis of entering this year’s election with a fraudulent voters’ register, as we have all concluded one way or the other. We hope that they add their voice to it and not just seek to organise these public relations gimmicks that bring nothing but add to the many voices that crowd the important issues relating to the elections,” he stated.

Meanwhile the National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Awuku, has dispelled the notion of a vigilante group within the NPP. He also cautioned the media to be fair and balanced in their reportage.

“I do not call them vigilante groups, they are vibrant youth groups and some of their activities might not sit well with a section of the general public and I’m not too sure whether you have heard of some of the activities over these few months, so the situation is under control. However, going into these elections, the media must also amplify the voice of the opposition, it cannot always be a one-way affair,” he lamented.

On his part, the deputy national youth organiser (operations) for the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) urged the police to allow for a youth group comprising all parties to help in the fight against vigilante groups.

“We condemn every vigilante group and believe that the police is the constitutionally recognised body supposed to protect everybody. My suggestion is the formation of a permanent youth committee among the political parties aside from the national election task force, which will work hand in hand with the police in terms of election,” he stated.