Opinions of Saturday, 28 October 2017

Columnist: Osei Asibey

This vigilante impunity must stop

Delta Force members reportedly stormed the Kumasi Circuit Court and freed the members of their group Delta Force members reportedly stormed the Kumasi Circuit Court and freed the members of their group

The rise of vandalism from political vigilante groups in the wake of the change of government is disappointingly alarming. I think is time for the law enforcement agencies to take their fight a notch higher.

It is sickling to hear political executives unashamedly trying to rationalise this social evil that have the capacity to mar the stability of the nation. When I hear the members of the ruling party say they have spoken to their people to desist from these avalanche of vandalism that have hit the country I feel like vomiting (sorry to those eating). My reason being that it is obviously clear that this method isn't working.

Secondly, what importance is it to the police and Ghanaians when you admonish them without handing them over to the police for due process to take its course. The NPP was one of the most effective party structures in the country so it can't be purported that these offenders are not known. It is true that a political party form the government but it must be noted that the very moment the government is formed the responsibility shifts from protecting the interests of party faithfuls to protecting the interest all citizens irrespective of the political affiliations.

It is upon this mandate that the military and the police service have been co-opted into the executive power. I am tempted to disbelieve the sayings of the president that he is the president for all because several evidence spanning from the famous A+ saga to the recent delta 8 court ruling saga suggest the contrary.

For a moment let us assume without admitting that the individuals involved in this coward vandalism are reacting based on the feeling of betrayal but it doesnt give them the legitimacy to take the law into their own hands. This brings to mind the contribution of the nature of our politics to this absurd dent on our democracy. We live in a country where politicians promise heaven and earth just to get elected and when the reality of governance hit them then they side-line the very people who helped them into power and with the pure evidence being seen with the "infant terrorism in the country". No one is against populism but we should not hold is in high esteem to the detriment of our enigmatically fought democracy.

To the politicians especially those in government please let crack the whip on this defiant political faithfuls in order to make the party attractive for the millions you would want to align themselves to you but hate to be tagged with vigilantism. To the youth involved in this disgusting acts please advise yourselves, you have a bright future don't reduce yourself to a tool in the hand of certain potbellied men.

I don't want to believe that those condoning and rationalising these actions do not know the consequences of such actions. The ISIS we see today did not start like is. It started as a small group but it is now global in its operations and have been a serious canker in the 21st century. I wouldnt like to make someone sad but it is as result of these same vigilantism that we lost our Professor Kofi Awoonor. Even though the Al-Shabaab terrorist group is now far advanced than just a political vigilante group it took its inspiration from the same well of political vigilantism. Also, precious lives were lost in Kimtampo water falls just because some uncultured political vigilante group seized the site and failed to put the necessary measures in place leading to that catastrophe.

How can we reduce our famous commodity of democracy in Africa to locking up offices, chasing people out of offices and even wanting to man public toilets just because your government is in power? Have we taught about what these things do to the productivity of the nation? Please Ghana is better than this, we deserve better.

In a tone of finality, let me say I am not a politician but just a citizen responding to the call of the president on the 7th January,2017 for us to be citizens and not spectators. For the first time, aside funerals let as call a spade a spade and let all the political divide condemn this insane actions. This is a call unto leaders at all levels and most importantly the conscience of all and sundry for a vigilante free country. I become sad when the opposition also see this as an avenue to score cheap political points, come on, you are better than this. If not for anything you are the most successful political party in this republic. I believe there are a lot of big guys in the NPP that can call the shot on this matter to bring it to an end so they should just do it.

#stopPoliticalVagilantism