Politics of Thursday, 11 October 2018

Source: otecfmghana.com

NPP will keep its vigilante groups for their internal security - Maj. Derrick Oduro

Deputy Minister of Defense, Derrick Oduro Deputy Minister of Defense, Derrick Oduro

Deputy Minister of Defense, Major Retired Derrick Oduro, has reiterated the ruling New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) commitment of keeping its vigilante groups for their internal security.

He said as long as the groups are not registered at the Register General Department and are only used for party’s internal activities, the calls for their disbandment should not be adhered to.

His comment come after pro- NPP vigilante group Delta Force members disrupted a Tafo – Pankrono constituency meeting between the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Hon. Anthony Akoto Osei and some party officials on Sunday, October 7, 2018, at Tafo.

The aggrieved Delta Force Member chased out the Minister of Monitoring and Evaluation for failing to fulfill promises made to them ahead of the 2016 elections.

There have been numerous calls for these groups to be disbanded as a result of their violent acts they have exhibited since NPP took power in 2016.

But speaking in an interview with Otec fm's afternoon show dubbed 'DWABREM' on Tuesday, October 9, 2018, the Hon. Derick Oduro, who is the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkoranza North constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region, told the programme host Agya Owusu Ansah that, Invincible Force, Kandahar Boys and Delta Forces are recognized members of the party and their services of providing internal security is highly needed and appreciated.

“These groups are private security groups and no government can disband them, the only thing we can do is to regulate their activities and give them proper security training to conform to international standard,” he said.

He said government cannot provide internal security for the party so they have to provide their own securities for their members and these groups are perfectly doing that.

He added that “it is not illegal for any political party to form vigilante group but the constitution does not allow them to operate externally. We will make sure they sanction anyone who goes contrary to the laws of the land”.