Bryan Acheampong’s resignation not solution to vigilantism – Cletus Avoka

Former Interior Minister Cletus Apul Avoka says calls for the resignation of the Minister of State in-charge of National Security, Bryan Acheampong, are not justified because that will not be an antidote to political vigilantism in the country.

According to the former Majority Leader, it takes more of a committed political will to deal with issues of vigilantism than merely calling for the resignation of individuals.

His comments come on the heels of calls from a section of the public, especially from the Inter-party Coalition for Defence of National Sovereignty, for the resignation of the IGP, David Asante Apeatu, the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah as well as Bryan Acheampong.

The trio has come under heavy criticism for the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence, which left at least six people injured and several others including Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram Constituency manhandled by masked men suspected to be Invisible Forces, a pro-New Patriotic Party vigilante group.

But Mr. Avoka holds the view that Bryan Acheampong, who owned up to say the masked men were deployed from the National Security, only spoke the truth and that his resignation or dismissal does not put an end to the issues of political vigilantism.



Speaking to Winston Amoah on 3FM’s Sunrise Friday, the former minister stated it is not possible Bryan Acheampong acted out of his own volition.

“I think that he was speaking the truth and if he is speaking the truth, I don’t think he is the one as an individual who put them there. It is a chain of command and I think that, he alone must not just be sacrificed. It must be a national concerted effort to deal drastically with this issue and not just an individual,” he said

Mr. Avoka also said the situation in the country in the past few months is not exactly the case of insecurity as being claimed by some members of the Minority in Parliament, but a perception by the public that there is insecurity.

“The situation is that of apprehension about insecurity,” he observed, advising the government to take such perception seriously.

He is, however, confident that the IGP, the National Security Minister and the Minister of State are up to the task to handle the security issues in the country.