General News of Saturday, 25 January 2014

Source: peacefmonline.com

Kofi Wayo Warns Mahama: Ghanaians will soon get tired of the toothless law

Following the revelation by the West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP) that Ghana faces a future of violent demonstrations and general political instability if government fails to deal with the worsening economic conditions and public discontent over corruption, a former International Arms Dealer, Charles Kofi Wayo, believes the WANEP revelation should not be disregarded.

He believes Ghanaians might soon rise up against the overbearing lawlessness being overlooked by authorities in the country.

According to the WANEP report, armed robbery accounted for about 38.33% of incidents recorded in the last quarter of 2013. The total number of death resulting from these attacks was ten (10), and twenty-three (23) victims severely injured. WANEP said data gathered indicated that there is a rising form of criminality - targeted killings (homicide) or direct attacks.

“These situations, coupled with public discontent over the government’s efforts to manage corruption and address economic hardships, the emergent violent attacks on some Police Stations and Barracks by criminals, and increasing incidents of Target Killings (Homicide), might risk the present political and general stability in the country if not well managed,” the report said.

Commenting on the report, Charles Kofi Wayo told Hot Fm in an interview that the country’s laws are ineffectual, making Ghana vulnerable to chaotic incidents despite the practice of democracy. He added that the engine of democracy is law, and the gears and wheels which make democracy work is the enforcement of the law but sadly, that is lacking in the country.

He added that the level of lawlessness in the country has reached the stage where government officials can now get away with stealing from state coffers paving way for other social vices to go unchecked. “…..now, officials can steal free, ministers are slapping policemen and they get away with it, land guards have their own laws, and they can touch anybody for free because the law does not work. But it will get to a point where things will break loose in the country, and nobody can stop it…as these unlawful events build up without the state intervention to enforce the law, the slightest incident will escalate leading to a violent demonstration likely to take the country by surprise,” he warned.

He bemoaned the “give it to God” attitude of Ghanaians saying it is a recipe for chaos.

“...war is likely to come to Ghana. I have been telling you for years and if President Mahama does not take serious aggressive reform action, there will be trouble because the people are used to the lawlessness...now the young people are arming themselves, and they will soon react in same manner,” he cautioned.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of WANEP, Emmanuel Bombande, has described as “substandard,” a national human security report published by the security group which warned of impending social chaos due to economic hardship and targeted killings.

Mr Bombande, who discredited the report published by his own organisation said the report was “subjective and judgmental and conclusive in a way that was substandard”.

“We are apologising to the general public for the anxiety created by the report,” he said.

In a statement, Mr Bombande said WANEP "profoundly regretted" the "poor quality" of the report which he admitted was not peer reviewed before publication.

He conceded that: “The analyses are fundamentally flawed…and so conclusively this report is suggesting something else”.