National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dapaah has said there are no politically affiliated vigilante groups to be disbanded as there are no groups registered as such.
The Minister was answering a question in Parliament posed by Member of Parliament for Asawase on what the ministry is doing to disband political vigilante groups.
He said “There are no legally registered political vigilante groups in the country, and for that matter, there are no such groups to be disbanded.”
The activities of pro NPP and NDC vigilante groups have raised serious concerns in the country.
The NDC’s Azorka Boys and NPP’s Invincible Forces normally swing into action anytime their parties win power.
Last month, police arrested leader of pro-NPP vigilante group Delta Forces after an attack on a security cordinator who had just been appointed.
They terrorise members of the losing party and destroy or seize public property. Sometimes members of their own political party are targeted.
These attacks result in the death or maiming of the victims, and there have been calls on the political leadership within these parties to bring their followers to order. The government has also been asked to disband these groups completely.
But Mr Kan Dapaah said this could have been done if the groups were registered, however, “We need to stop such activities because these action groups have the tendency to degenerate into militant groups that can have serious repercussions on the security of the country.@
The Minister stressed government’s commitment to deal appropriately with all criminals irrespective of their political affiliation.
“We must resolve as a House to urge all political leaders in the country to come together to deliberate on measures to discourage the establishment and recognition of such groups in political structures in the interest of state security.
“We must not mix criminality with politics, lawlessness must be punished as demanded by the laws of our country,” he added.
