National Peace Council forms monitoring team over political vigilantism

The National Peace Council has said it is in the process of forming a monitoring group to among other things mount close observation on activities political parties particularly in relation to peace and security.

The move is part of a roadmap to ensure that political vigilantism is eradicated from Ghana’s striving Democracy.

Ghana has passed Vigilantism related offenses and regulation ACT 2019 (ACT999) which has criminalized vigilantism.

The law states that a political party shall not directly or indirectly form, organise, operate or engage in activities of vigilantism, that such acts are criminal offence which culprits are liable to conviction to a fine of not less than 1,000 penalty units and not more than 25,000 penalty units.

A Code of Conduct and Roadmap to ending political vigilantism developed by a technical committee following a series of dialogues organized by the National Peace Council necessitated by unprecedented electoral violence that characterized the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections in 2019 has since been signed on to by two major Political Parties – ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) who are major culprits.

The 31-page roadmap contains an action plan for political parties in both short, medium and long term to eradicate political vigilantism from Ghana’s political dispensation.

Flowing from that about 27 identifiable political vigilantes associated with NPP and NDC were reportedly disbanded.

However, pockets of violence that have characterized the voters registration exercise has raised concerns over the subtle existence of these Political hoodlums.

Speaking on Agoo FM in Nkawkaw, Chairman of National Peace Council (NPC) Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante told the Morning Show Host Omansomfo Kwabena Asante that the monitoring group that is being formed would ensure that surveillance is placed on members of this disbanded vigilante groups.

“One of the way forward stated in the roadmap document is the formation of Monitoring group that will be monitoring what is happening on grounds, this is being done.

“Members of the monitoring group are being drawn from the security agencies, political parties among others. We are working on it right now. The role of the media will not be left out.”

The Chairman of the National Peace Council said persons who sponsor and profit from electoral violence must be fished out and dealt with in accordance with the law.

He said the security agencies must be fair and firm to deal with any miscreant who attempts to disturb the peace of the country to help complement efforts of the Council to ensure a peaceful election.

Commenting on the recent deadly violence at Banda in Oti Region, Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante condemned the incident and called on the Police to deal with the perpetrators.