<<Print>>

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu has been described by the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia as a “concert” man who does not know his professional job.

In Ghanaian lingua, "concert" is a slang or twi parlance for a comedian or a short theatre performance on stage which was very popular in the 1950s and the 1960s, and was later revived in the 90s.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu, on Thursday, asked political parties in the country to denounce their vigilante groups to 'embolden' the Ghana Police Service.

Calls for the disbandment of various vigilante groups in the country increased after violence emerged during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.

So far, the two major political parties: the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) are known to have vigilante groups.

The IGP, who was speaking at a press conference, urged the parties “to immediately denounce their own vigilante groups to create the necessary awareness that will embolden the police. The truth is that if we prescribe a security solution to a politically motivated problem, you may only be reducing the pain but not curing the disease.”

"The police are poised to arrest and profile any group of people claiming to be vigilante groups irrespective of their political affiliation . . . death in the name of politics will no longer be tolerated in our security setting. We are declaring zero tolerance against political violence and vigilantism,” he added.

But his call rather seemed to have incurred the wrath of the NDC Chief Scribe.

In an interview on Okay FM’s "Ade Akye Abia" Morning Show, General Mosquito as he is affectionately called, said the Inspector General of Police needs to cease his unproductive press conferences and be seen to be proactive.

He indicted the IGP for dereliction of duty; an action that he believes has contributed largely to influencing electoral violence and other criminal activities in the country.

“All videos shown in the media are so clear and then you come out to say the gunshots were fired by the NDC. So the NDC boys decided to direct their guns at their legs and fire shots? Do they think we are fools in this country? So the IGP should stop his concert”.

“If he wants to stage a concert, he should form a band and stop the police service and take off his uniform and form a band and perform concert so that we can pay money to go and watch him perform with his band . . . he is staging a concert because whatever he is doing, we are all aware of,” he fumed.

“If he is after the truth . . . I boldly let him know; the situation is there, go and deal with them. Who asked him to come and organize a press conference? The problem is that he is talking without any action; it is part of the problem, it is deceptive...,” he chided.

He added that the IGP cannot pretend not to know what he must do to end vigilante groups in the country after he [Asiedu Nketia] has personally told him per an incident at Sankore to stamp his feet on the ground to solve these creeping issues before they escalate as the issue has travelled beyond party volunteers who protect ballot boxes to criminals in police uniforms.

“IGP openly told me and I have witnesses to this that it didn’t start today. Is it today that you are coming to the media to say that you deal with them and that politicians are the causative agent?. You have been given a job as an IGP, are you not ashamed for saying this?” he jabbed.

“The car that every Ghanaians saw driven by police officer and carrying criminals in the trunk, have you heard the GPRTU or a private person driving such vehicle before without being arrested for offense?”, he quizzed.