Tema Mantse welcomes law against vigilantism
The Industrial city King, Dr. Nii Adjei Kraku ll, has welcomed the initiation of moves by President Akufo-Addo to establish legislation that will specifically outlaw political vigilantism in the country.
In an interview with journalists, Nii Tema said such legislation was long overdue and that President Akufo-Addo was making history by pursuing the cause to establish it.
“I lived through the Nkrumah era and can tell you that political vigilantism has been with us from the very beginning of our nationhood.
“In the days when the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) was the dominant party, opponents of Nkrumah sometimes trapped live bees and unleashed them at CPP campaign rallies just to terrorize party supporters,”Nii Tema said.
He said suchlike acts of terror by party vigilantes later degenerated into bombings against Ghana’s first President with spill over that resulted in the killing of innocent people and the maiming of many.
The Tema Mantse’s take was in response to President Akufo-Addo’s order to Attorney General, Gloria Akuffo, to brainstorm and come up with a legislation that will specifically outlaw political vigilantism.
The President has resorted to legislation in fulfillment of his pledge during the 2019 State of the Nation Address that if an engagement that he had initiated with the main opposition party, NDC, to find a solution to the problem is not successful, he would formulate a legislation to ban vigilantism which has muddied Ghana’s democracy.
“If President Akufo-Addo carries through this move, he will make a piece of fine history for himself; and I encourage him to see it through,” Dr. Adjei Kraku ll said.
The Tema Mantse said he was also impressed with the idea to set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election saying the process was an effective platform for Ghanaians to vent on the issue of political vigilantism.
Nii said he believed that the healing process from the tragedy that occurred during the by-election was started because of the work of the Commission and commended President Akufo-Addo for solving the protracted Dagbon crisis, which brought peace to the kingdom after 17 years of conflict and misunderstanding.
“The successful end to the conflict means President Akufo-Addo has crowned the efforts of his predecessors and the Committee of Eminent Chiefs led by Otumfuo Osei Tutu with success,” Nii said.
He commended the President for the sagacious show of political will to end the conflict. “Indeed litigation and conflict must end somehow, someday, and it is good that President Akufo-Addo has ended the Dagbon conflict. Now we can all look forward to a peaceful, prosperous Dagbon kingdom.
“I would want to commend the Asantehene and all the eminent Chiefs for their good works over Dagbon, it is a good thing to always involve Chiefs in National issues.”Nii Tema said.
Source: GNA