A prolific Ghanaian writer and journalist, Mr Kofi Thompson, has cautioned the hawks within the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), planning to risk the peace and stability of the country in pursuit of naked and selfish ambition and thereby threatening the future and collective well-being of millions of families, to rethink their stands or risk facing the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Just as other politicians in other African countries who have been charged by the ICC for crime against humanity for inciting people to violence, the renowned writer warned that, until cool heads take over the NPP and call the extremist in the party beating war drums, they may equally suffer the fate of other African leaders.

In an article responding to a recent statement inciting people to violence by the nephew of the defeated Presidential candidate of the NPP, Gabby Asare Octchere-Darkoh and Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, also a cousin of Nana Akufo-Addo, the veteran journalist wrote: “The ICC awaits all politicians in Ghana planning violence, who when the Supreme Court announces its verdict, intend to unleash those blinkered myrmidon-types - whose idea of democracy is a mental outlook that makes them say in response to every wrongdoing by political parties and politicians: "My-party-my-tribe-right-or-wrong" - to cause mayhem in our dear nation.”

According to him, if the thinking of some of the kingpins of the NPP is that they are above the laws of Ghana, then “somehow, the Asare Otchere-Darkos and Ken Ofori-Attas have not considered the possibility of being indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) someday, should they miscalculate.”

“Well, they will definitely end up before the ICC, for the crimes against humanity that their overblown ideas about themselves could lead them to unwittingly commit - if they don't abandon their arrogant insistence on ruling Ghana Willynilly. Their undemocratic language is most unfortunate,” Mr Thompson noted.

In his opinion, the conduct of some of the leading members of the NPP is nothing short of inciting the youth to violence, adding “no politician will be allowed to set Ghana ablaze and get away without facing the ICC's prosecutors and appearing before its judges at the Hague".

He noted it is high time the moderates in the NPP take over from the warmongerers in the party who are using all sought of sinister tactics to hold the country to ransom.

“Those in the NPP who have kept cool heads despite losing the December 2012 presidential election, must take their party back from the hands of those whose minds have clearly become affected by the electoral defeat suffered by the NPP's presidential candidate in the December 2012 presidential election,” he added.

Just like Dr Charles Wereko Brobbey and Kwami Pianim (both elders of the NPP) Kofi Thompson charged the party to reorganise itself, and plan well for the December 2016 presidential election.

“The leadership of a political party that claims to believe in the rule of law must never contemplate violence of any sort under any circumstances - no matter the provocation. Those who play with fire risk being consumed by it. The time has come for cool heads to prevail and take over the NPP,” he stated.

To read Mr Thompson's full feature article, click here.