The government of Ghana has rejected the description of vigilante groups as ‘militias’ by a member of the Commission of Inquiry set up to look into the causes of the violence that characterised the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election on 31 January 2019.
During the month-long hearing, a member of the Commission, Prof Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, said calling the illegal activities of such groups political vigilantism was to give them a noble name and dignify their acts.
“We call bribes by fond names and stop seeing them as bad. We call these things political vigilantism and we don’t appreciate how bad they are. It is plain ‘warlordism’. They are militias and not political vigilantes”, she said.
“If we don’t take the matter in hand and confront them as such and we take the position that when they commit an offence they will be dealt with it, I’m afraid you would have bred a dragon that you cannot control when things come to a head,” she added.
The government’s white paper on the Commission’s findings, however, said: “The government accepts the Commission’s recommendation in paragraph 10.4 on page 60 of the Report insofar as it relates to vigilantism and hooliganism.
“As stated above, the government is unable to accept the use of the word “militia” by the Commission.
“The government states further that this recommendation has been overtaken by events in the light of the passage of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, 2019 (Act 999), initiated by the President of the Republic to disband and prohibit vigilante groups ad their activities.”
The Commission set up by the government was among other things mandated “to make a full, faithful and impartial inquiry into the circumstances of, and establish the facts leading to the events and associated violence that occurred during the Aysawaso West Wuogon by-election.”
The Commission took testimonies of principal witnesses in the matter including the Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Mr Sam George; the Commander of the National Security SWAT team, DSP Samuel Azugu; and the then-NDC parliamentary candidate, Delali Kwasi Brempong.
The Commission interviewed over 20 other witnesses and persons of interest over a three-week period.
Source: classfmonline.com
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This is not Government White paper, it is the Government Clearence Paper.
The inconsistencies in what the president does is worrying. What is wrong to call these thugs militia? And a whole president has issued a white paper that he doesn't want thugs to be called militia. Can you believe this. A president should be the first to applaud the commission but he is rather poopooing the commission's report. Unbelievable!!!. No wonder he believes in all die be die. Rejection of militia name means he still stands for ALL DIE BE DIE.
Hope ndc id grtting the indications and know what to do
lol!! Nana Addo is a confused man!! he is blowing hot and cold!! buga buga government.
The NDC should sit up, the rejection of the name Militia by the government means, they still have them and they will use them in 2020 to forment the same trouble the did in ayawaso wagon bi election. This a clear indication that they still have an agenda to use the NPP militia to beat up electorate and even shoot at them. NDC should consider their own militia too because, if they don't they will laugh at the wrong side of their mouth. A word to a wise is enough.
Do you all see why nana addo is not credible? How can with the same mouth that you said vigilantism should be disbanded by signing a bill, when a commission recommends they should called militia the same person says they shouldn't be called militia. What sort of person is this man. He says he is fighting corruption but the same person defends his appointees who are corrupt. And you want me Abbew, to vote such a phony man again, NEVER AGAIN. He is a total disappointment. He preaches virtue and practices vice. You say you want to eradicate armed robbery but you don't want them to be called CRIMINALS, what sort of kweku Ananse president is this man.