The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), says it is hopeful that the dialogue between the governing New Patriotic Party and opposition National Democratic Congress, on finding ways to rid the political system of vigilante groups, will be successful.
According to the NCCE, the two major political parties had been going back and forth over the terms of the dialogue since President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo called for the meeting, until they recently agreed to allow the National Peace Council mediate the session.
Speaking at the launch of an NCCE report on political vigilantism, the Chairperson of the Commission, Ms Josephine Nkrumah, said the engagements on vigilantism must spell out tangible actions that would combat the menace.
“The lip service to the disbandment or to the negative aspect of
vigilantism can no longer be tolerated,” she added.
The NCCE Chairperson said some of the key issues discussed at the stakeholder engagements included mistrust of security institutions by political parties, the winner-takes-all nature of Ghana’s politics and economic factors such as high unemployment rate, which makes the youth vulnerable to political violence.
Based on its findings, the NCCE wants the National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons to embark on an exercise to retrieve all illegal weapons in the country.
Ms Nkrumah observed that the country faces destruction if the issue of political violence is not solved.
Source: Ghana|Adom News|Kofi Nkansah