The National Youth Leaders Forum (NYLF) has called on government to disband the operation of para-military groups in the country, especially their involvement in politics.

The NYLF also called on National Security and the leaders of the various state security agencies to prevent the Para-Military groups from operating during the 2016 general elections.

The NYLF said that the protection of Ghana from any form of aggression should lie in the hands of only the various State Security Agencies, including the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, and the Bureau of National Investigations.

The NYLF made the call in a press release signed by Mr Michael Kwabena Ampong, Executive Director of NYLF and copied to the Ghana News Agency in reaction to events at the just ended Talensi by-elections.

The release said: “The exercise of voting rights must be done in an atmosphere of peace, tolerance, and the respect for people’s opinions and views”, which cannot happen if there is tension, violence, intimidation and sporadic shooting.

“We at NYLF wish to appeal to the President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the Commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces to collaborate with state security agencies to disband all Para-Military groups being formed or supported by political parties with immediate effect”, the release added.

“The state security agencies must clamp down all these illegal Para-Military groups so that they don’t become available organised groups to destabilize the country because of political expediency”, it declared.