Mark Owen Woyongo, Minister of the Interior, has expressed surprise at the way a section of the media misunderstood his recent comment: “violence begets violence, “following some violent attacks by the Azoka boys of the NDC and the Bolga Bull Dogs of the NPP, on each other, at the just-ended bye-election in Talensi, in the Upper East Region.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Mr Woyongo said “I am for peace and not violence, and I am surprised that Journalists who know about my peace settlement initiatives in the Bawku conflicts when I was the Regional Minister for the Upper East, should pick up this sudden violence occurrence at Talensi and capitalize on it, and think that I am supporting violence.”

Mr Woyongo reiterated that the statement he made was only a truism, to mean that the attack by the Azoka Boys infuriated the Bolga Bull Dogs which caused a spontaneous equally violent reaction by the Bolga bull dogs, adding that this should not have been the case.

Mr Woyongo explained that by his statement, he implied that people should not engage in violent attacks for their actions to cause their opponents to also react in the same manner.

He urged Ghanaians to embrace peace, and co-exist peacefully, no matter the situation.

Since the Minister made the statement, there had been calls for him to resign, but Mr Woyongo said such calls for his resignation were baseless and unfounded.