According to the US Ambassador to Ghana, Robert P. Jackson, the US is ready to support Ghana to create enough jobs to curtail the menace.

He spoke to Citi News after interacting with the Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed in Tamale on Tuesday January 30, 2017.

The US Ambassador to Ghana thereby tasked the Regional Coordinating Council to identify and provide a list of youth groups that will be empowered to be self-reliant.

He said the US government will invest more in the agro-processing industry that will engage majority of the unemployed youth.

Ambassador Robert P. Jackson added that, the US government will advance its Young African Leaders initiative to turn African youth into business and entrepreneurial moguls.

“For years and of course as part of our Young African Leaders initiative, we are training young entrepreneurs and we give them small grants to start or to grow businesses, but the focus of what the regional minister and I are talking about tonight, is looking at youth employment in the context of agro industry.”

“We talked specifically about Shea industry, the cashew industry and mangos, and there are a lot of crops that flourish in this region. And I believe there is great potential. We need to explore this more, and we need to bring in other companies so we will continue to work and attract private investment with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre.”

Ambassador Robert P. Jackson explained that, he visited the Northern and Upper East Regions to interact with chiefs, duty bearers, inspect USAID funded projects, and inaugurate some completed CHPS compounds.

He said four of the completed CHPS compounds were located in the Mion and Yendi districts in the Northern Region, where primary health care is a major priority.

He emphasized that, maternal and child health care remained the US government’s major priority, hence the construction of modern health facilities in deprived communities.

“The US government will support the key sectors of education, health, agriculture and security to tackle the poverty situation in Northern Ghana,” he underscored.

He further pledged his administration’s commitment to form synergy with the Northern Regional Peace Council (NRPC) to deepen peaceful coexistence in the identified hotspots.

The Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, thanked the US government for alleviating the plight of the rural poor through its social intervention programmes under the auspices of the USAID and its allies.

He lobbied for more CHPS compounds for under-served communities where traditional healers served as caregivers.

Salifu Saeed appealed to the US government to support the Shea industry, saying, “We need technological support and multinationals to develop the shea nut industry which is the economic mainstay of most rural dwellers.

He further asked the US government to help government construct cargo warehouses at the Tamale International Airport.

He reiterated the need for peaceful coexistence to attract investors to the region.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Addressing a meeting of the National House of Chiefs on Monday, President Akufo-Addo vowed not to compromise on such acts of lawlessness perpetrated by supposed party followers.

[contextly_sidebar id=”3mX38fd7M2iQOOR2hNPCxw3DXv2xLNPB”]”On the new phenomenon of vigilantism, I will do everything in my power to arrest its development. I will not walk the path of others trod who found it convenient to turn a blind eye to the criminal misdeeds of their followers and took no action, as it would displease them.”

“I am walking another path, the path of making reality the principle of the rule of law, the idea of equality of every citizen before the law. Wrongdoers wear no political colours. They are just wrongdoers, and will be dealt with as such,” the President told the chiefs.

Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, has already warned that Police Commanders who fail to ensure arrests and prosecution in vigilante-related incidents will face sanctions.

Several groups of Ghanaian youth, believed to be members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), have gone on the rampage in recent months, seizing public toilets and toll booths, locking up state establishments and attacking some state officials.

The government’s commitment to security has been questioned following the recent upsurge, but some arrests have been made in a few recent instances of political vigilantism.

Anti-vigilante task-force

The government, in response to the spate of political vigilantism, has set up a task-force to investigate such occurrences by some aggrieved members of the governing NPP, especially in the northern region.

The task-force is led by a Deputy Minister for Energy, Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam Anta, and some of its members include the Chief Executive Officer of the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Hassan Tampuli, a Presidential Staffer, Clara Napaga Tia Sulemana, and Managing Director of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Dr. Clifford Braimah.

The Task-Force started work in the Northern Region holding discussions with major stakeholders involving NPP regional executives.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The government has been questioned about its commitment to ensuring security in the country, following a recent upsurge in the number of incidents involving political vigilantes across the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”hN6lL5wzehiMIwnEf3sqx7dESOfiCel5″]Several groups of Ghanaian youth, believed to be members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), have gone on rampage in recent months, seizing public toilets and toll booths, locking up state establishments and attacking some state officials.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated his position that the laws of the country will crack the whip on political party vigilante groups, but many have brushed off his comments as usual rhetoric from government.

In response to the growing public dissent, the Interior Minister has now charged the police service to crack down on vigilante groups in a bid to arrest the growing threat.

He has directed the  Police Commanders have to ensure that vigilantes are arrested and put before court or face sanctions.

“The President has made it clear, and I have repeated it time without number that we must arrest all those who breach the law without any exception; regardless of party colour and regardless of position. The police’s job is to make sure that they enforce the law. They don’t need to be told, but we have a President who has said that they must do so. Let me make it clear that now if there is vigilantism in any part of the country, the police in that area must either arrest the perpetrators, investigate and bring them before justice or the Commander must be sanctioned” Ambrose Dery said whilst addressing the Central Regional Police Command at Cape Coast on Tuesday.

“If there is any vigilantism is in your area, you must investigate and bring them to book otherwise the commander of that area – be it the village, district or regional commanders – must be sanctioned, we must stop it. When incidents occur, you either tell us you’ve arrested the perpetrators and are investigating or you are sanctioned. Whoever it is that’s supposed to sanction but doesn’t do so, will be sanctioned as well. We don’t want any more stories.”

A number of critics have accused the government of failing to ensure the perpetrators of vigilantism are sanctioned, with many suggesting that even the ones who are arrested and prosecuted are “treated with kid gloves.”

They have cited several instances of persons arrested for political vigilantism who are eventually let go with minimal punishments, including the Delta Force 13 who were fined GHc 1,800 each after being charged with rioting, despite assaulting the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator.

However, Ambrose Dery insisted that the government was committed to letting the police go about their duties without any interference.

“We’ll not interfere in the operational decisions, but we will stop vigilantism. We are not going to hold back,“ he said.

The Minister admitted that, despite the efforts by the police in fighting crime, if vigilantism is not dealt with, it has the potential to negatively affect all the good policies of government such as the One District-One Factory policy.

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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Since the NPP’s election victory, the escalation of such acts of lawlessness by irate NPP youth has prompted renewed scrutiny, but has been met with little restraint from the party’s supporters or increased action from law enforcement.

[contextly_sidebar id=”fmc8YowIwYo9kMvr8iLGRHOimZxc3qNg”]The lack of action from police is seen by some to be emboldening such incidents.

The most recent incident, in Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, saw offices of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) locked up by some youth of the area alleged to be members of the NPP’s Invincible Forces.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Awuku, however, cautioned against treating the increased vigilantism as an NPP matter, and asserted that “we must also treat it as a matter that cuts across the political divide and not limit it to just the NPP.”

“If we also want to play the partisan card, we can give a total recall of hundreds of incidents, but that does not solve the matter,” he added.

Police must step up

Echoing President Nana Akufo-Addo’s comments on the acts of vigilantism, Mr. Awuku said the NPP has been clear in its condemnation of such acts, and shifted the onus onto the police to act decisively on such incidents.

“The police should not wait to be prompted by the Asylum Down Head office of the NPP or the Flagstaff House before they can do their work because, per the laws of our country, they are mandated to enforce these laws.”

The NPP has millions of supporters nationwide and the party leadership cannot “remote control someone in Techiman,” he argued further.

“What we can all do will be to support these security agencies. Anybody who breaks the law, deal with the person ruthlessly, according to the laws of our country.”

The incident at Techiman adds to the growing list of similar acts of lawlessness perpetrated by NPP-affiliated groups over the last seven days.

Other more recent incidents include disturbances in Karaga and Sissala West, perpetrated by alleged NPP supporters.

Following that, youth aligned to the NPP stormed an Assembly election in Adeiso in the Eastern Region, and allegedly assaulted some assembly members when the election did not go their way.

These added to 18 separate attacks previously reported by Citi News since the NPP assumed the mantle of governance.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NPP can’t ‘remote control’ vigilante supporters – Sammy Awuku appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The NGO argues that,  security operatives have failed woefully considering the rate at which NPP-affiliated groups are going on rampage without control.

[contextly_sidebar id=”bgBYyNLJlVcp2LZfg3jUvDQA0hQ0aDLR”]Citi News has reported on about 20 of such vigilante group actions since the New Patriotic Party administration came into office, with the major incident being the assault on the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator by the Delta Force group, which subsequently led to the 13 suspects being freed by their colleagues in an open court.

As an NGO operating in the Northern Region, the National Coordinator of Peace Seekers International, Alhaji Abubakari Daa-Naa, implored President Nana Akufo Addo to rethink about his security apparatus.

He is convinced that the recent acts of hooliganism by some irate NPP youth leading to the sacking of government appointees and locking of state institutions could destabilize the nation if punitive measures are not adopted to curtail such culture of impunity.

“At the beginning, I was thinking that because NPP had just come into office, that’s why the security is not yet stabilized, but I think for now, something is very wrong with the security setup of Nana Addo, and if His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who I know very well is very active and security conscious, will do some smart changes within the security setup of the country for us ti have peace with regards to these pockets of violence.”

“I think it is unfortunate, and it is not only happening in the northern region. This is happening all over the country, and that I want to say is that, I will attribute it to the fact that, Nana Addo has got a very poor security setup.”

Alhaji Abubakari Daa-Naa insists that the nation’s security operatives have so far failed to bring the perpetrators to book, hence him the need for a complete overhaul of the national security setup.

“Those who are heading the security if Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana are to sit up because they are not gathering enough intelligence to put a stop to some of these things which are happening all around.”

“We have a lot of intelligent personalities who can assist Nana in managing the security of the State very effectively to stop all these things.”
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Overhaul security set-up for failing to tackle vigilantism – NGO appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

They have also advocated the establishment of an independent appointing authority to take charge of appointing the nation’s security heads.

The Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) organized a day’s round table engagement meeting held in Tamale on “the menace of political party vigilantism and Ghana’s electoral politics.”

Below is a communique issued at the end of the forum and copied citifmonline.com.

THE MENACE OF POLITICAL PARTY VIGILANTISM IN GHANA

REFLECTIONS FROM ROUNTABLE DISCUSSIONS HELD IN TAMALE, NORTHERN REGION

Media Briefing addressed jointly by Sheikh Arimiyawo Shaibu, a CODEO Advisory Board Member and Mr. Albert Kofi Arhin, CODEO National Coordinator held on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at Nim Avenue Hotel, Tamale, Northern Region

 Introduction

On behalf of the Advisory Board of the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), I welcome you to this media briefing about political party vigilantism in Ghana. We are grateful to you for honouring our invitation.

Background

[contextly_sidebar id=”YTCwUQFJ978AFunhcklfC4FY7HlqYBku”]As you may be aware, the phenomenon of political party vigilante groups and their activities have gradually found its way onto the centre stage of Ghana’s electoral politics, particularly under the Fourth Republic. Over the years, the level of violence that has characterized the activities of party vigilante groups during each phase of the electoral cycle has increased, especially since the 2000s. The 2016 Presidential and General Elections of Members of Parliament were without exception. The immediate post-election phase also witnessed some incidents around the political transition, nearly marring the almost smooth process. Unfortunately, the manifestations of political party vigilante groups have continued from the transition and into the governing period.

At its post-election national stakeholder workshop, held at Aqua Safari Resort in Ada in the Greater Accra region from March 27-29, 2017, the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO) made this subject of political vigilantism one of the pressing post-election issues for discussion and deliberation. This was in recognition of the danger that political party vigilante groups pose to the country’s electoral politics and democratic development.

CODEO’s stance on political party vigilantism

 In a communiqué issued on April 6, 2017 in Accra after the post-election stakeholders review meeting, CODEO condemned this growing feature of the country’s electoral politics. CODEO further called on political parties to disband these affiliated groups. It urged other stakeholders, particularly the security agencies, to address this growing menace. Specifically, CODEO stated that,

• The existence of political vigilante groups is illegal and the Ghana Police Service should ban and disband these groups immediately as a matter of national security.

• The leadership of the NPP and the NDC who are largely responsible for the emergence of these groups in the 4th Republic should own up to their responsibilities and work together with the police to disband all politically affiliated vigilante groups.

• In the medium to long term, there should be a concerted effort amongst key election stakeholders to make the Inspector General of Police independent by insulating him/her from political interference by securing his/her tenure across regimes and ensuring such appointments are transparent and consultative.

Going forward

In order to sustain the conversation on ridding the country’s political space of party vigilantes and their activities and to prevent the matter from being overshadowed by other governance developments, CODEO is embarking on a nationwide public engagement through Regional Roundtable Discussions on this growing phenomenon. This series of public engagement, made possible with the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) seeks to create awareness of this phenomenon, and thereby contribute to civic and voter education on it. These engagements will also be used to collate views from regional level stakeholders on the phenomenon that will be used to develop comprehensive policy recommendations for stakeholders and relevant institutions to implement.

The third in the series of the Regional Roundtable Dissuasions was held yesterday, Tuesday July 11, 2017 at the Nim Avenue Hotel in Tamale in the Northern Region.

The following observations were made by participants during the discussion:

• There is growing mistrust of the security services, which stems from their inability to enforce the laws against groups which commit criminal offenses.
• There is increased suspicion and mistrust among political parties arising from the fear of manipulation of the electoral process by their opponents.
• There is the desire on the part of political parties to win political power at all cost without recourse to established rules and regulations governing elections.
• Political parties indirectly mobilize and fund vigilante groups but shy away from publicly associating themselves to their criminal actions.
• Political parties feel insecure because of inadequate state protection when carrying out their activities during election. This is used to justify the formation and use of vigilante groups.
• The President under the 1992 Constitution wields too much power especially with regards to the appointment of heads of state institutions. This constitutional weakness promotes patronage politics and encourages party vigilantism.
• There is too much political interference in the activities of state agencies especially within the Police Service that disables their ability to tackle the menace of party vigilantism.
• State agencies with special reference to the Police Service are not adequately resourced to handle the complexities of vigilante activities.
• Contest for superiority and the edge to win political power leads to the formation of more vigilante groups.
• There is a lack of clarity on the definition and concept of vigilantism. Participants agreed that not all youth groups are combative and criminal in nature.
• The Youth bulge and high levels of youth unemployment especially, graduate unemployment in the region was observed by participants as one of the causes of the increased youth group formations, which are recruiting grounds for party vigilantes.
• Vigilantism encourages the proliferation of arms and influence communal conflicts.
• Party vigilantism breeds indiscipline, even within political parties.
• There are inadequate platforms for youth involvement in decision making and their involvement in development process within parties and the society.
• There is a deficit in civic and voter education on voting process and civic responsibilities.

With regards to finding lasting solutions to the phenomenon of party vigilantism, there was consensus among participants that:

• A National Security Summit should be organized to deliberate, and develop actionable plans to tackle identified threats to the state’s security including tackling party vigilantism.
• Establish an independent body to appoint heads of security agencies and all heads of security agencies must be given security of tenure.
• Decouple the Ministry of Justice from the Attorney General’s Department.
• Adequately resource the Police Service to be able to combat criminal activities by these vigilante groups.
• Political parties should openly admit the existence of vigilante groups and stop clandestinely patronizing their services.
• Name and shame political party leaders who support and patronize the services of vigilante groups.
• Revive the Regional and the District Inter-Party Dialogue Committees.
• Actively involve the youth in decision making processes and make them relevant in the governance of the state.
• Conscious efforts should be made to solve youth and graduate unemployment.
• Improve voter and civic education with the aim of increasing civic consciousness.
• Families should take more interest and responsibility in raising their children.
• Religious leaders must use the pulpit and any other platforms available to them to reform the moral aspects of their followers.

Conclusion

As you may know, CODEO’s primary and broad objective is to complement the efforts of Ghana’s Electoral Commission and indeed all stakeholders in ensuring transparent, free, fair and peaceful elections in the country. CODEO will continue to advocate for peaceful and credible elections during and in between elections. CODEO calls on all stakeholders, including the political parties, security agencies, and the public at large to as a matter of urgency, address this growing menace. CODEO calls on all Ghanaians to work together to support this crusade against political party vigilantism in our electoral politics. CODEO further calls on the media to make this subject critical for public discussion and urge them not to allow this matter to disappear from the public discourse until it is eradicated.

Finally, CODEO acknowledges the generous support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for supporting CODEO’s post-2016 election activities. Thank you and God Bless Ghana!!!

Signed by:

Albert Kofi Arhin, National Coordinator, CODEO

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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CODEO and other like-minded civil society organizations after the 2016 general elections, advocated the need for total disbandment of identified political vigilante groups.

These groups are affiliated to the two major political parties, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). In furtherance to the call, CODEO has embarked on a nationwide crusade through public engagements.

The organization in Tamale organized a public forum on the theme, “The menace of political party vigilantism and Ghana’s electoral politics.”

CODEO’s National Coordinator, Albert Kofi Arhin at the event, called for a multifaceted approach to deal with the threat.

“Our organisation is embarking on a nationwide public engagement to conduct civic and voter education through Round Table Discussions in all the 10 administrative regions of Ghana.”

“These engagements would also form the basis to collate views from regional level stakeholders on the phenomenon and also develop comprehensive advocacy policy recommendations for stakeholders and relevant institutions to implement.”

Mr. Arhin emphasized that, “The organisation would further seek to organise focus group discussions with some identifiable vigilante group members in selected regions to get a better understanding about the perspectives of their groups.”

Northern Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Alhaji Abdul-Razak Saani, revealed that that there were close to 100 vigilante groups recorded in the region.

He alerted that some of them are radical in nature for which reason they should be disbanded.

He added that political vigilante activities are planned, funded and sanctioned by leadership of political parties yearning to win power at all cost.

Alhaji Saani admitted that, civic education deficiency was to be blamed for the sharp increase in political vigilantism.

He attributed the situation to the NCCE’s inadequate staff and logistics saying, “In 2016, the Northern Region NCCE lost 30 staff to death, resignation and retirement. Not a single replacement has been made ever since.”

A representative of the NPP, Sham-Una Ghazi, said the nation’s Muslim Clerics have to condemn the menace which is also widespread in Muslim communities.

According to him, majority of members of the political vigilante groups are Muslim youth, and thus questioned the Muslim Clerics’ leadership qualities exhibited in their sermons.

The NDC’s Northern Regional Director of Elections, Tanko Rashid, alias computer, suggested the need to re-brand the police administration as the Ghana Police Force.

This in his estimation could enable the police administration function like the Ghana Armed Forces for effective crime combating.

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Women’s participation in politics in Ghana continues to dwindle though they represent 52 percent of the national population.

Speaking at the 2014 Moremi Initiative for Women’s leadership in Africa, Mr. Ackon noted that “women are also underrepresented at the high decision making levels, making decision outcomes not tailored to address their concerns.”

The Minister therefore emphasized the need for Ghana to devise a multifaceted approach to effectively deal with gender inequality.

“As we advocate sustainable development, we need to acknowledge that achieving gender equality is for the benefit of the entire nation and continent. We need to devise a multifaceted approach, strategically involving men, to effectively deal with it,”Mr. Ackon said.

He mentioned that achieving and acknowledging gender equality is for the benefit of the entire nation and continent.

Speaking on the same platform, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Stratcom Africa, Madam Esther Cobbah encouraged young women to confront the cultural inhibitions that often hold them back from stepping boldly into leadership positions.

According to her, “the fact that women are the majority of the population and play key roles, especially in agriculture and in enterprise in many African countries makes the need for women in leadership even more urgent.”

She therefore advised them to “ take up the mantle of leadership in different contexts in society” and “take up challenges of starting and leading enterprises that respond to needs in various African societies.”

Moremi Intitiave aims to engage, inspire and equip young African women and girls to become the next generation of leading politicians, activists, social entrepreneurs and change agents.

By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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