Political Parties should look elsewhere for thugs; not Muslim youth - Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has admonished all Muslim Youth across the country to take a firm stance against violent and disruptive acts engineered by political parties.

The President made these comments during the Eid Prayers ceremony held at the Black Star Square to mark the celebration of the Eid-ul-Fitr on Sunday morning.

President Mahama said “often when political parties are looking for macho men and thugs to go and create mayhem and havoc, the places they go to are to our Muslim communities,” adding “our young men were not brought into this world to be thugs.”

He president said “please if the parties are looking for thugs let them go elsewhere. [They should] not come to the Muslim community to look for thugs.”

President Mahama also promised to preside over an election year devoid of rancour and violence.

He said “this is an election year and Prof. Mills promised that there will be peace, before, during and after the elections. I wish to reaffirm that pledge that, as your president, I will ensure that there is peace before, during and after the elections.”

He stressed that “this election will be the most successful election that Ghana will ever have.”

He thanked all Muslims for the roles they played in the funeral and burial rites of the late President Mills.

President Mahama said: “All we can do now is to remember the attributes and legacies that he (President Mills) left for us. And the abiding legacy that we know he left is that he was a man of peace, patience and tolerance.”

Ghana’s strength, according to the President, lies in the peaceful coexistence between the ethnic groups and the two main religions of the world. He therefore urged Ghanaians to continue in this vein.

He called on all to love each other and to continue to foster a peaceful coexistence between one another.

“Peace and goodwill should not exist only in the month of Ramadan. It should transcend and be expressed in all other months of the year,” President Mahama said.