<<Print>>

Former General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana says the involvement of masked vigilante groups by political parties to protect ballot boxes must be condemned.

According to Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong, if strict measures are not taking by the state security heads to ban these vigilante groups, Ghana will be plunged into chaos.

“Where are these ‘Kaakaa motobi’ [masked] vigilante groups coming from?” he questioned in an interview with Asempa FM’s ‘Ekosii Sen’ Programme Friday, February 8, 2019.

His comment follows the violence in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections which led to about 17 sustaining gunshot wounds and a Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, Sam George assaulted.

The task force, masked and heavily armed, stormed a polling station at La Bawalashie and shot at persons engaged in the electoral process.

It is not yet known what may have prompted the armed security personnel to shoot and injure at least six persons, but police have launched a full-scale investigation.

Government has also set up a commission of inquiry to investigate the incident - A former Commissioner at the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Justice Emile Short is the Chairperson of the Commission while former Dean of the Faculty of Law of GIMPA and private legal practitioner, Mr. Ernest Kofi Abotsi has been appointed as Secretary to the Commission.

Other members of the Commission are Henrietta Mensah Bonsu and Patrick K. Acheampong.

Rev. Dr. Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong who is unhappy of what happened at Ayawaso blamed the NDC and NPP for giving legitimacy to such hoodlums to perpetrate violence during elections.

“Both President Akufo-Addo and former President John Mahama are beneficiaries of the action of such group but ahead of 2020 elections, they must allow Ghana’s democracy to work” he bemoaned.