Arrest All Vigilantes, from Ayawaso West Wuogon to Ablekuma North—Asiedu Nketia Charges

The National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as General Mosquito, has called for an end to violence in elections in Ghana.

Speaking on the program ‘Mpe ne Mpu’ on UTV Ghana, he said vigilantes who engage in election violence must all be arrested.

Asiedu Nketia noted that uprooting vigilantism means past crimes must be punished just as must as recent crimes.

He said if it was up to him, all election vigilantes would be arrested tomorrow.

“This is a good opportunity for us to prove that we want to end vigilantism in politics. Right now, if it were up to me, tomorrow morning we should arrest everyone involved in violence from Ayawaso West Wuogon to Ablekuma North,” he said.

“Let’s arrest everyone who has ever involved themselves in vigilantism during elections in Ghana, and let’s deal with everyone according to the law. There is no expiry date to crime,” Asiedu Nketia continued.

The veteran politician said he fought the previous Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo-Dampare, on numerous occasions for his failure to not only apprehend the perpetrators of past election violence but even to provide any updates of his investigations.

“Whenever we attended an election security meeting with the IGP, I asked for an update on their investigations into previous killings. I fought Dampare over this at the Police Headquarters several times,” Asiedu Nketia said.

He blamed former President Akufo-Addo for failing to properly tackle the election violence that occurred during his reign.

Analysis of Asiedu Nketia’s call to end election violence

If the NDC’s national chairman is serious about his call, he should get the President on the phone and order all these arrests he claims he wants to see.

Politicians are fond of making pronouncements that they have no intention of following up on, and it seems that’s what’s happening here.

General Mosquito is no powerless man – he can make the changes he wants to see in ending election violence.

So let’s see more action and less talking – that’s how we build a nation.