Vigilantism Is Threat to 2020 Elections - New Year School

By Abigail Annoh

Speakers at the New Year School yesterday unanimously predicted doom for the country in next year's general elections if efforts were not strengthened to stamp out vigilantism.

Describing the threat as having assumed complex dimensions and now an entrepreneurial venture, the speakers were of the view that Ghana was heading for a crisis come 2020 if the prevailing political atmosphere was not purged.

Comprising, Dr Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, the Director, Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research of the Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre, the Director General of the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards, Commissioner of Police Kofi Boakye and Former General Secretary of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Mr Ivor Greeenstreet, the speakers spoke on the theme, "Political Vigilantism and Ghana's Democracy."

Taking the first shot, Security Analyst, Dr Aning noted the number of vigilante groups which was pegged at 17 prior to the 2016 elections had seen increased in recent times with indications that suggest that "people who formed these groups for their personal gains and interest are unable to control them anymore."

"These groups have become fearless and will go at all length to glorify violence, indiscipline and abuse powers that be and the result is what we see and hear in the news. Ministers and other party figures are now afraid to make public appearances for fear of being attacked for failing on promises made to such people."

He mentioned power drunkenness, economic difficulties, political patronage and the names given to such groups as motivation factors for some of the actions of vigilantes.

Dr Aning asked that "principles" were brought back to be the centre of politics in the country instead of the sole drive for power while citizens raise their voices against the menace and institutions were strengthened to act.

For his part, COP Kofi Boakye signalled the preparedness of the police administration to clamp down on vigilante groups but called for lapses in the "police architecture, criminal justice system, civil society and the Ghanaian attitude to be addressed."

"Vigilantism is escalating and it is a clear danger for the country. 2020 will be explosive and the time has come for us all to say enough is enough to stop these acts of hooliganism."

He sided with the assertion that political figures were fuelling and sponsoring vigilante groups in the country "as such most police commanders are afraid to cause their arrest for fear of being tagged or victimised."

"A time is coming that these people who founded them will be consumed themselves by these groups. If we do not do something about the security architecture of this country, it will be dangerous for us all," he warned.

Mr Ivor Greenstreet on his part insisted that successive governments "cannot continue to pay lip service to the fight against vigilantism but must go on to prove it."

To him, the "Fourth Republic was beginning to be a failure" as economic difficulties kept increasing, a situation that attracted people to engage in vigilantism.

"People are becoming desperate, they had high hopes but it is being dissipated. When hopes are high, the capacity to deliver by governments is not happening, you create a fertile ground for people to take advantage of the system and take the law into their own hands to perpetuate violence," he stated.

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