General News of Sunday, 10 February 2019

Source: mynewsgh

NDC introduced vigilantism in Ghana politics - Atick

Atick Yakubu Atick Yakubu

An activist of the ruling New Patriotic Party Atick Yakubu is blaming the opposition National Democratic Congress for being the originators of vigilantism in Ghana politics.

In a long article copied to MyNewsGh.com, Atick Yakubu argues that while there is the need to holistically address vigilantism in a non-partisan manner, its genesis must not be forgotten.

Recounting various instances when NDC meted out acts of violence to NPP members, he thanked Akufo-Addo for taking steps to end it all.

Read his full article

“During the 2009 Akwatia 6 polling stations elections , the NDC had invited some thugs into the town to cause Mayhem . They blocked the main road in front of their constituency office and beat anyone who was a member of NPP, beat our big wigs who passed and those who were lucky had their windscreens broken with stones . I was a witness to this . There was an instance my brother and I had to run for our lives because we were identified as sons of the constituency chairman by a woman . She gave the order that we should be beaten by the thugs they had imported to town in metro mass buses . They didn’t come in pickup vehicles but metro mass . That was how ugly it was . That was the impunity they exhibited.

Those who were at Talensi will tell you their story too . In Atiwa , Anita De souso drove her Tundra through party faithfuls like they were snakes in her way . I believe even if they were goats or sheeps she would have exercise some patience for them to cross but NO , they were NPP people in her way . In her eyes they are lesser than animals .

In Amenfi West ,those who got beaten will tell you their story . Our party faithfuls got beaten in every aspect of our politicking.Not even our members were spared at the student front. From NUGS to SRC , there are records of serious beatings and intimidation

I AM IN NO WAY TRYING TO JUSTIFY VIGILANTISM . I just want all of us to know where it started from . We never had vigilantism in our politics till the 6 polling stations in Akwatia and Atiwa .

This was what led to famous statements “ Atiwa mpo y3 kyer3 )mo Kakra “ and the regrettable “all die be die “comments . What I know is that governments have used the security forces to bully and intimidate opposition parties till the NDC started their vigilantism in 2009 .

The difference between us and them is that we have a President that has taken the steps to bring an end to political vigilantism by setting up a committee to investigate the happenings at the Ayawaso West bye elections . I can say on authority that those who got beaten by the National security were thugs from the house of Delali Bempong . He had more than 50 of them in his house just to cause mayhem and make sure we don’t have a successful election.

Even if God had told Delali and the NDC that they would won AWW elections they wouldn’t have believed it . For them , the only option was to ransack the election Centre and the election would have been postponed . To make a long story short , the 4 guys who started this operation were unfortunately met by the National security operatives . The NPP couldn’t tell their side of the story because the NDC were quick to run to the media and the whole narrative changed .