Need to stop political vigilantism

NEWS COMMENTARY ON THE NEED TO STOP POLITICAL VIGILANTISM
Ghana is sitting on a time-bomb that could take everybody by surprise. However, we seem not to be serious with the menace staring us in the face. This is not the first time the issue has cropped up but the usual Ghanaian attitude towards serious matters is at play here as the clock ticks. Political vigilantism continuous to bare its teeth at the entire nation, putting the very institutions that hold the land at risk.
It all started as political activism, then metamorphosed into vigilantism before graduating into pure criminal action that saw a group of well-built men, entering a court room to free suspects standing trial for another act of violence. The severity of the problem appears not to have caught up with us as yet, thus the lackadaisical attitude towards curbing the menace. During the political season, it is a bit usual to find groups of peoples from different political parties, exchanging words and perhaps engaging in some fisticuffs when the tension mounts to some peak.
But, what the nation is experiencing now is beyond political activism especially with the political season far over. How can we tolerate a group of men entering a state institution to remove by force of violence, an officer appointed by the President of Ghana, on the premise that he wasn’t their preferred candidate? How can we explain the rationale behind political goons going after a minister of state, over flimsy reasons? These aren’t attacks on individuals but the entire state, which shouldn’t be countenanced in any way in a civilised country like Ghana that touts its democratic achievements to the international community.
Besides the international image backlash, the possibility of such acts degenerating into full scale violence, ending up in civil conflict cannot be written off. In some countries that have suffered from civil wars, like Rwanda and Liberia, the ignition that led to the explosion wasn’t as serious as the one we are toying with at the moment. With the current cases of violence under the cloak of political vigilantism and the deafening quietude by heads of security institutions, influenced by the political consent, it would just take a slight misjudgment for the nation to turn upside down.
Groups such as ‘Delta Force’, ‘Azorka Boys’, and the rest must not only be disbanded, but also barred from holding themselves out as security wings of any political party. Much as vigilantism has been at the root of many systemic and radical changes in many parts of the world, Ghana inclusive, it becomes a big threat to the security of a nation that fails to control or put it to a productive use. Some advocates have in the past called for the creation of critical vigilante groups to hold government accountable. Such groups use conventional means to put pressure on governments, and the powers-that-be, to manage the resources of the nation reasonably. Such groups need to be formed across the nation to serve as watch dogs on the leadership of the country, to ensure that they sit up in all their dealings.
If the political parties, to which the violent vigilante groups belong, do not take steps to disband them, thinking it would serve their political interest, then no one needs to remind them of the fact that in war situations, weapons make no distinction between big or small people.
It is time for a concerted effort at putting an end to these violent groups in the name of security wings or whatever they call themselves. Today, it is someone, tomorrow it may be you. Let’s say NO to violence and attacks on our state institutions and individuals in the name of politics.
BY RUTH ABLA ADJORLOLO, A JOURNALIST.