To Uphold National Security, Nana Akufo Addo and NPP Must Face Retributive justice

National security is a measurable state of the capability of a nation to overcome the multi-dimensional threats to the apparent well-being of its people and its survival as a nation-state at any given time, by balancing all instruments of state policy through governance. As the majority of Ghanaians have decided to take a common direction to promote national development other minority thugs collectively known as NPP sympathizers also strategize to create post electoral chaos. This unfortunate incident calls us to debate over what problems constitute a threat to national security. Ghana is a model of democracy in Africa as it enjoyed both political stability and economic growth in Africa until recently when Nana Akufo Addo has been trying to derail the democratic process in the country through his “all die be die” strategy to grab power through illegal and 419 schemes.

Following the official declaration of the presidential electoral results on December 9, Nana Akufo Addo through his NPP thugs has been engaged in acts of terrorism and sabotage of the State and undermining personal security the citizens of Ghana. Security threats involve not only conventional foes such as other nation-states but also violent non-state actors; and it is sad to state here that in the case of Ghana, NPP can be categorized as non-state violent political group. National security is best described as a capacity to control those domestic and foreign conditions that the public opinion of a given community believes necessary to enjoy its own self-determination, prosperity and wellbeing.

It is time that Nana becomes aware that national security is the protection of citizens and territory from physical attacks which are considered as essential to the fundamental values and the vitality of the State. In other words, national security is the ability of Government to preserve the nation's physical integrity and territory, to maintain the survival of the State through the use of appropriate legal power to contain threats by using counterintelligence services to protect the nation from internal threats from NPP. Nana must also be aware that political security is about the stability of the social order.

National security is also a blend of political resilience and maturity; and in this post-election era in Ghana, upon all the provocations from the main losing party NPP, Ghanaians from different political walks appear to uphold resilience, maturity and political security by not reacting to the provocation.

These violent acts make me to develop a strong conviction that Nana Akufo Addo must first implement his free SHS programme as a pilot project within his NPP group in order to educate those “Mawiè School Shoe Shine Boys” that there are legal and reasonable ways to contest an election or to expose ones grievances instead of engaging in violence; because the party’s chaotic way of attempting to snatch power is a threat to national security which undermines our national value as a peaceful country.

The comportment of Akufo Addo and that of his thugs is a threat to national security, thus retributive justice must be applied to their crime in order to send a message to them that they should not repeat those violent behaviors again. When a chronic offender like Nana Akufo Addo breaks the law, he thereby forfeits his right to play key role in Ghana politics, and justice requires that he is arrested and punished accordingly and that his NPP party is classified as a non-state actor that undermines national security, so it must be banned definitely from Ghana politics or at least be classified as such. The classical definition of retributive justice embraces the idea that the amount of punishment must be proportionate to the amount of harm caused by the offence. An alternative to retributive justice consists of declaring the transgressor NPP and Akufo Addo as an outlawed gang which we can no more tolerate in Ghana.

John Koffison

New York, NY (USA)