Deal with land guards, and political vigilantism will stop – Sam George proposes

The Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George has traced the root of vigilantism to activities of land guards, and is therefore convinced that streamlining land acquisition in the country would solve incidents of political vigilantism. Ruthless militias with affiliation to the two main political parties in Ghana – NPP and NDC – under the pretense of vigilante groups have visited mayhem, some deadly, on innocent citizens. Well-meaning Ghanaians have for years condemned their activities and had time without number called for their disbandment with no success. Just last week, President Akufo-Addo had cause to order the NDC and NPP to voluntarily disband these vigilante groups or he will initiate legislation on the matter. But when Sam George on Tuesday appeared before the Emile Short Commission investigating violence that occurred at the January 31 by-election at Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, he didn’t seem convinced merely disbanding them is the appropriate panacea. “Madam, the solution to this whole menace, I believe, lies with our land tenure system. These so-called members, they don’t do political activities everyday, most times once in four years or when there is a political activity, what do they do on daily basis? They are land guards, they are land guards. So if we fix our land tenure system, where you don’t need to have the land guards again, and the police decides, the police knows them, the former IGP is here, they know the land guards in Ghana as well as politicians, the police knows them.” The MP told the Commission the current form of vigilantism, which he described as a growing “monster” can be curtailed if the police is given the freehand to operate. “If the police is allowed to do their job and clamped down on them, and there is no job for them, it is a demand and supply system, madam.” He admitted that the land situation in the country cannot be fixed within a matter of two years. When asked what could be done in the interim, he advised, “We need to, as a nation and politicians, take a stand that we will name and shame everyone who is involved in any of these activities.” Persons who own these militia groups occupy or have occupied prominent position in the country before, he revealed. By Isaac Essel | editors.3news.com | Ghana