The opposition National Democratic Congress says it is ready to disband its newly adopted vigilante groups If President Akufo-Addo can assure them of protection from NPP affiliated vigilante groups.

Reacting to the condemnation of their adoption of the groups by the NCCE, the NDC in a statement said the party has been compelled to acknowledge such groups because government has failed to rein in its rampaging youth.

“So where was the NCCE in 2015, when the then Candidate Akufo-Addo recruited and brought in mercenaries to train and establish the para-military wings of the New Patriotic Party. We didn’t hear the NCCE when the South African mercenaries were arrested and deported. Several attempts to get the moral society to speak and condemn this act of forming a terrorist group proved futile; their Rambo styled attacks against NPP persons purported to be against Candidate Akufo-Addo was replete in the daily news reportage.

“Unfortunately, this NCCE condemnation has come in rather too late in the day. We have allowed the NPP to perpetrate these acts of injustice to our members for far too long. We shall not miss any opportunity to protect the lives and property of our people.

“Whiles we are guided by the saying that ‘he who seeks peace, must prepare for war’, we wish to serve notice of our cautious adoption of all the groups formed by our members to protect the interest of our party,” the statement signed by the party’s general secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia said.

The statement concluded: "Whiles we are guided by the saying that ‘he who seeks peace, must prepare for war’, we wish to serve notice of our cautious adoption of all the groups formed by our members to protect the interest of our party.

However, we wish to emphasize our readiness to order the disbandment of these groups provided and only if, President Akuffo Addo shows signs of readiness to protect the lives and property of our members by disarming and disbanding the NPPs numerous vigilante groups; arresting and prosecuting all NPP members who have been cited for various breaches of the law through vigilantism; including the forcible release of NPP suspects from police custody, the forcible ejection of some Chief Executive Officers of State Owned Organizations from their offices and providing appropriate operational environment for State Security agencies to regain their control and mandate in protecting life and property of the citizenry”.