Ghana and Lawlessness

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By: Awuaraa Esi Johnson

The Case of some members of the so called Delta Force’s (a group affiliated with the governing NPP) attack on the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator is a classic case of how lawlessness Ghana has become. The situation gets even frightening when you hear the likes of Kennedy Agyapong, a sitting member of parliament and the Ashanti Regional chairman of the party Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Wontumi) publicly condoning the behavior of the thugs whose behavior should have no place in our society.

After their shameful attack on the Regional Security Coordinator, some 13 members of the group faced charges of conspiracy to commit crime, assault on a public officer, causing unlawful damage and common purpose to prevent a public officer from performing his duty in a Kumasi court. During the court proceedings, other members of the group stormed the court and in the process, broke free the 13 facing charges. An eye witness account has it that if it wasn’t for the timely intervention by the law enforcement team, the judge hearing the case could have been roughed up.

The reason for their attack on the Regional Security Coordinator was that he, the appointed Security Coordinator was not part of the people who helped in the campaign to elect the President; therefore, he did not deserve to be appointed by the president.

Besides the obvious logical flaws in their reasoning, their actions and that of any other vigilante groups pose serious threat to our national security and Ghanaians should not be silent about it.
To win a presidency in any country through credible electoral process, one needs help from many, many people. On group cannot make that happen. Some may help with money, time, ideas, physical strength and other tangible assets. Others still support with their votes. Some may work locally while others may contribute their help from afar. Given the enormous size and activities of any presidential campaign, no one person, not even the candidate himself/herself can claim to know ALL those who are helping in the campaign. Therefore, how can one group take credit for the campaign’s eventual victory? How can anyone be sure that the next person did not help?

Should positions be given to only those well-known to have helped a campaign? The answer, to me, is a big NO. We all do our bit to help a candidate in whom we have confidence to run the nation. In doing so, we are also aware and accept that when that candidate wins, he/she will not govern alone and that he will have to appoint people to govern with him. Because we trust and believe in him as the better candidate to lead, we implicitly trust his judgement. His judgement to make decisions and to appoint people with whom he feels confident can help him carry out his agenda. A good leader selects a good team to work with – in some cases across party line. So why are we complaining?
The constitutionally instituted security agencies notwithstanding, do we as a nation need these vigilante groups? Hell NO. By encouraging these groups, we run a serious risk of creating anarchy in the country where our law enforcement agencies cannot do their work effectively. Especially so if these groups are backed by political parties. The group’s actions to forcefully remove a public officer from his duty and storming a court room with force resulting in freeing people who were standing trial were emboldened by their knowledge that they are linked to a governing party and as such they felt they were above the law. This jungle style of behavior only depicts a failed and lawless nation.
It is incomprehensible to think that Kennedy Agyapong, a legislator and chairman Wontumi will support such criminal behaviors by these thugs. The group’s action could not be described in no other terms than criminal. So, for Wontumi to warn the National Security Minister for describing the group as criminals should be embarrassing to the NPP which pride itself as the party of law and order.

Kennedy Agyapong must be told that not every criminal case can be settled outside the court. The crime against the accused, although, was meted against an individual, it is still a crime against the state. It is not an NPP issue where one can say it should be settled in-house away from the courts. Kennedy Agyapong should think and behave like a legislator and not the loose talker he has become.

The fact that these thugs may have worked for the Akufo Addo’s campaign SHOULD NOT place them above the law or for that matter above any other citizen of the country. Everyone on this planet has had a chance in life to do good for something they believe in. The good they did in the past should not be a basis for them NOT to be described as criminals if in fact they committed a crime. Chairman Wontumi, yes, these thugs in their good behavior may have well helped the NPP to win power but, their actions today are criminal and they should be described as such.