General Secretary for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia has asserted that Ghanaians have been totally misled by the credentials of President Akufo Addo as an advocate of human rights and proponent of free speech, trumpeted over the years.

According to him, since President Akufo Addo came into political limelight from the days of “Kume Preko”, his parliamentary elections at Kyebi and all his other political activities have been associated with violence.

Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show Tuesday, General Mosquito as he is affectionately called said he is not surprised that vigilante groups are springing up by the day in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) under President Akufo Addo, attacking state institutions and officials without let or hindrance.

He believed some past actions of President Akufo Addo have given birth to these acts of vigilantism in the country.

“When he started his politics, whenever something goes wrong in the country, he led his party members to create violence and he trained the youth of his party with radicalism....Akufo Addo is a warlord who run out of options during the 2012 election petition...the NPP led by Akufo Addo acted violently in the 2012 election before proceeding to court when they realised that Ghanaians would not condone hooliganism,” he asserted.

“When he first run for parliament, he contested aganst Owireku Amofa and when he won the election, Owireku Amofa nearly lost his life as Akufo Addo supporters ransacked and burnt down the NDC office in Kyebi. Akufo Addo again as a lawyer of Dr. Wireku Brobbey fought the section of the 1992 constitution which did not allow the establishment of radion stations until NCA law was passed....and even now as President, he has closed down 131 radio stations”, he added.

He accused Nana Akufo Addo of leading six people to their graves during the “Kume Preko” demonstration; thus has violence ingrained in him.

“It is his testimonial and it was not written by Asiedu Nketia; he wrote his testimonial with his violent behaviour...now, he does not lead the youth again but they know how to think like him and act out how he [Nana Addo] would have handled the situation at Gwollu”.

Some NPP youth in Gwollu in the Sissala West district of the Upper West Region last week stormed the office of the Chief Executive, Mr Mohammed Bakor and chased him out. They also locked up his office.

According to Iddrisu Waaleka, the constituency coordinator, the youth wanted their preferred candidate to be appointed the coordinator for the Micro-finance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) for the district.

At least 20 of similar violent cases perpetrated by loyalists of the governing NPP have been recorded since the party won political power in 2016.

General Mosquito however was of the view that even though President Akufo Addo will not ask the youth to beat up people in their offices, his followers already know his love for violence.

“The youth know what Nana Addo prefers and what he detests and they work with such mentality. It is difficult for Nana Addo to stop such violent behaviour because he trained them. Violence has been part and parcel of NPP youth because of Nana Addo and so they don’t need his approval to act when they know deep down within their hearts that Akufo Addo would have asked them to do same...They only know violence as the way to solve problems; as he (Akufo-Addo) taught them from the very beginning," he stated.