Michael Kwabena Ampong, Executive Director of the National Youth Leaders’ Forum, is said to be receiving sponsorship from the National Security to carry out a campaign to ensure the maintenance of peace before, during and after this year’s general election.
He has called for the disbandment of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) Invisible Forces – a security group tasked with guarding the party’s headquarters.
Mr. Ampong, a former Greater Accra Region Communications Director of the NPP who was currently said to be in bed with the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), asserted that the formation of the paramilitary group was a threat to society.
Speaking at the launch of the ‘Campaign Against Politically Motivated Violence’ in Accra last week, Mr Ampong alleged that the Invisible Forces was made up of unemployed, well-built guys who could not be contained by the NPP.
He stated that the NPP would not be able to contain the Invisible Forces if it did not win the 2016 elections. . “As we have entered into the election year, tempers are gathering and with the current formation of paramilitary groups, care has to be taken. Every political party has action troopers like Invisible Forces. Our boarders are being beaten with the influx of sophisticated weapons. Now when you put up such a group – a group of unemployed, well-built guys – and assuming you don’t win after the elections, how do you contain them? Won’t they be a threat to society?” he quizzed.
He said the main aim of the ‘Campaign Against Politically Motivated Violence’ was to urge the youth and the electorate to say No to “ethnocentric politics, politics of hatred and insults, politics of intolerance for dissenting views and politics of wild and unfounded allegations.”
“The youth have a greater stake in the future of this country. We should also be able to push politicians to talk about the issues that affect our welfare like youth unemployment among others. Most of our graduates are coming out unemployed, what is the reason? There are serious national issues and people who are aspiring to become presidents and MPs should demonstrate that indeed they have what it takes to assume such positions,” he added.
Prof. Nii Noi Dowuona, a board member of the National Council on Tertiary Education (NCTE), urged the youth to use their efforts to ‘harass’ the leadership to champion causes or policies that would address their needs.
The event was attended by various personalities, including Kwesi Pratt, managing editor of The Insight newspaper.
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