The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin has debunked claims that talks between the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) will no longer hold with President Akufo-Addo's instruction to the Attorney General (AG) to prepare a legislation against vigilantism.
He said the Attorney General, as part of the legislation, is expected to provide the necessary sanctions against the occurrence of party vigilantism.
President Akufo-Addo made this known in a response to another open letter written to him by the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo. Click to read
“Since the constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order in our country is that of the Executive, ie. the President of the Republic, I have in line with my pronouncement to Parliament during the Message of the State of the Nation on 21st February, 2019 instructed the Attorney General, without prejudice to the outcome of the engagement, in any, between the NPP and the NDC to prepare and submit to Parliament, as soon as possible, specific legislation to deal with the phenomenon of vigilantism, and provide appropriate sanctions against its occurrence.”
“I believe that the parliamentary process of enactment affords sufficient space for any citizen to make an input or contribution to the enactment of a good and effective law, whose implementation will enable us rid our nation of politically-related violence, a development that can only inure to the benefit of Ghanaian democracy and to the preservation of law and order,” he said.
In an interview on Citi Eyewitness news, Eugene Arhin reiterated the President's directive will not prejudice the expected dialogue between the NDC and the NPP as far as the issue of vigilantism is concerned.
"The President has not given up on voluntary disbandment of vigilantes (by the parties) . . . in his own letter he made it clear . . . he’s not given up on that aspect . . .but as President of the Republic who is bound by the constitution to make sure that lives and properties are protected, he believes these two (legislation and dialogue) should go hand in hand to solve this matter once and for all . . . at the end of the day, we are trying to find a solution to the problem," he opined.
Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com
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SECURITY REQUIRES LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT AND NOT JUST DIALOGUE OF GOODWILL. THE CALL OF SOME POLITICIAN TO INVOLVE ECOWAS, UN OR WHOEVER FOR MEDIATION SHOWS CLEARLY THAT THOSE WHO MADE THE CALL ARE NOT SERIOUSSS. NO SECURITY IS OBTAIN ON A SILVER PLATTER. HOW CAN ONE DIALOGUE ON DIALOGUE ON ROBBERY AND STEALING. VIGILANTISM WAS ORIGINALLY STARTED BY NDC IN 1990s TO ROB AND STEAL PEOPLE'S FREEDOM AND RIGHTS AT ELECTIONS. IN REACTION NPP STARTED THEIR OWN TO CHALLENGE THE INTIMIDATION OF NDC VIGILANTISM. UNFORTUNATELY BOTH VIGILANTISM IN NDC AND NPP HAS BECOME DIFFICULT TO MANGED WITHIN THEIR PARTY. IT ALSO USED BEYOND ELECTIONS TO CAUSE INSECURITY TO ALL EVEN WITHIN THEIR OWN PARTIES. CALL FOR DIALOGUE TO DISBAND VIGILANTISM IS NOT ENOUGH SINCE NDC WHO STARTED THE RECENT VIGILANTISM WOULD APPEAR TO AGREE ONLY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT IN POWER NOW. IF IT IS NOT OUTLAWED AND, GOD FORBID, AFTER 30 OR 40 YEARS THEY COME BACK TO POWER THEY WILL RESURRECT VIGILANTISM. IF IT IS NOW OUTLAWED THEN WE CAN AT ALL TIMES CHALLENGE THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY TO ENFORCE IT IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO IS IN POWER. SO MANY LESSONS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM EMIL SHORT COMMISSION TO APPLY TO FORMULATE THE LAW TO DISBAND VIGILANTISM. THE BAN MUST INCLUDE THE USE OF MOTOR BIKES ON ELECTION DAY AND AMASSING OF PEOPLE THAT CAN BE SUSPECTED TO BE A GANG TO CAUSE MAYHEM. ON BY-ELECTION PARTIES SHOULD BE MADE TO REPLACE MPS WHO DIE DIE FROM THEIR PARTIES WITHIN TWO YEARS FROM GENERAL ELECTION. VACANT SEATS AFTER TWO YEARS FROM GENERAL ELECTION SHOULD BE MADE TO REMAIN VACANT TILL THE FOLLOWING GENERAL ELECTION.
K Ofoz, What is agreed in Dialogue is not legal, and the stance of the NDC has nessesitated the president to issue Legislation to make it punishable by Law anyone who engages in vigilantism. Then after the law is passed, Ghanaians can have some peace of mind and focus on nation building and not senseless arguments on Radio stations. Well done Mr. President. The only language the NDC understand is taking them to court.
kids like you eugene are confusing the president. common thinking, if you having dialogue, why legislation?. i wonder why nana is surrounded with wise and matured experienced people but still failing. take mahama out, kuffour, rawlings, otumfuor, chief imam etc are all around ready to help, why dont use those emminent people so the results of it help in drafting the legislation. power play, confusion, poor communication and pampering of relatives are the reason nana is failing. we wanna build a ghana where the people will benefit. i have seen rawlings with no relative but did his best, kuffour with relatives did his best, mahama mills with or without did theirs so nana should have blended these to be successful. until and unless gabby, asenso bediatuo, asenso boakye, eugen, ursula and the likes dont quit, i swerve it will be mary go round. nana must by now sack or change the health minister, make top decisions to shake the ministers. napo was doing great but look at the manner he is working now, as if lost interest or doesnt care again. if the president will put his relatives aside and use core party people and experienced ghanaians, we will all succeed