News:
March 14, 2019
A member of the Defense and Interior Committee and Member of Parliament for Krachi West, Helen Adjoa Ntoso has taken a swipe at President Nana Akufo-Addo saying he does not have the political will in ending vigilantism.
According to the former Volta Regional Minister, the President has surrounded himself with these vigilantes, “if you go to his house this boys are there”.
She further pointed out that, during the 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections then candidate Akufo-Addo said he did not have trust in the security agencies, “that is the reason why he got his own security guys who are these vigilantes following him”.
Again if he did not have trust in the security agencies, and he got his own people, you think he would let some of this guys go as President, they have been recruited into the national security, she affirmed.
In an interview, she noted, the security and intelligence Act 1996 526, spells out the the duty of National Security, which is to collect data and they are not security agency mandated by Ghanaian laws to perform security enforcement.
“Like operational Duties, going to polling stations to man a polling centre that is not their responsibility, the police are supposed to do that and when it is beyond them they call the military in”.
In addition, we saw what happened in Ayawaso West Wuogon, they were more armed with protective clothing like bullet proof jackets; how many police officers go on operations and you see them wearing bullet proof jacket? They are more protected than the traditional security agencies and that was why I was asking if he has the political will to withdraw them, she added.
According to her, the President during state of the nation’s address called for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) to meet and talk in ending political vigilantism, but his people have been recruited into the national security and had been armed.
“He has to withdraw them from the national security, before he plans to disband them because they are not acting professionally, their action is not better than what a terrorist does”
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com