Dr Emmanuel Habuka Bombande writes on the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence

This is another of the statement by Dr Emmanuel Habuka Bombande on the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence

In the past two weeks, we celebrated peace in Ghana with the investiture of a new Ya Naa in Dagbon, Ya Naa Mahama Abukari II. This event was heralded as the beginning of a new era of peace and reconciliation in Dagbon, where peace has been illusive for decades. Following that joyous celebration, we descended to the unprecedented level of political thuggery and violence in the by-election of Ayawaso West Wuogun. From a long distance, I followed the political discourse back home with sadness. There has been much commentary and condemnation of the violence unleashed during the by-election. There is however little or no acknowledgement of the antecedents to such violence.

In earlier write-ups I posted on my Facebook Wall, I made the unflinching submission that political vigilantism is a monstrous creation that continues to ravage and cause mayhem with no end in sight. In the past two years, the level of political thuggery and violence has been unparalleled. The Delta and Invisible Forces, in particular associated with the ruling party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) account for most of the banditry and anarchy. In my earlier write-ups, I also unequivocally stated my disagreement with sections of the political party of my choice, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to set up or endorse the setting up of the Hawks as a vigilante group in response to the vigilante groups of the NPP. I reiterate that two wrongs do not make a right. In this write up, I make specific reference to the hooded and masked gun wielding men who attacked civilians during the by-election on 31st January 2019. The character of the unmitigated violence meted out against civilians, elevates these groups from vigilante to paramilitary groups. At this rate and on this tangent especially if left unchecked and with such impunity, they could soon assume the character of death squads infiltrating state institutions and exacting atrocious crimes and violence such as the ones some Latin American countries experienced in the 1980s.

From all the accounts including the interview granted by the Head of National Security, Bryan Acheampong and published on Myjoyonline, [National Security boss speaks on botched operations in Ayawaso West Wuogun by-election-02-02-2019], we are now confronted with a security nightmare. What makes it even more scary is that we appear numb about the gravity and nightmarish security dilemma currently prevailing. In these accounts, while National Security was proceeding with their usual protocol security coordination on 31st January to ensure a peaceful by-election, hooded and masked gun wielding men, with National Security (NSC) tags/badges and with same uniform of the National Security personnel joined in the protocol security operation at the residence of the NDC parliamentary candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogun by-election. To frame it differently, men identified as belonging to a vigilante group [s] outside Ghanaian Security Operatives, were brazened audacious enough to infiltrate the official national security apparatus and to execute a different operation unknown or on the blind side of the state institution of National Security. This outside group operated in parallel with and simultaneously with the operations of the state security institution. To say this is scary is an understatement.

They had all the intelligence and coordinates of our state institutions operations and then timed their own clandestine operation alongside the official operations? While operating alongside our security operatives, they were answerable to someone else; their political paymasters and not our official authorities of the state with the mandate to protect all of us. If this group of men can be so brazen to infiltrate our national security, what prevents them from trespassing into private property to eliminate/kill anyone under the cover of national security but in effect, contracted covertly and illegally to do so? This is how death squads operate. They corrupt, illegally capture state coercive authority and infiltrate official security apparatus to exact retribution surreptitiously against their targets at the behest of their paymasters. Even more frightening is the fear and mistrust amongst civilians as a consequence. People would wander whether national security operating with uniforms that should identify them to the public can be trusted as crimes are carried out by people wearing the same uniforms and badges that are official national security uniforms. Far from fear mongering, what Ghanaians so far understand or describe as vigilante groups today could be the death squads of tomorrow? Unlike the other political vigilante abuses that went unpunished with such impunity, the incidence of violence during the 31st January by-election must just not be investigated and the culprits held accountable? Much more than that, the culprits must be held accountable in order to give back credibility to our national security coordination and prevent Ghana from sinking down on the slippery road of the dreadful nightmare scenarious I have described.

For the benefit of doubting, we should accept the explanation of the head of National Security. That does not however explain how mind boggling it is that this vigilante group infiltrated National Security on their blind side? The explanation of Mr. Acheampong may sound like a fig leaf to cover up an unprecedented act of impunity. The expediency with which the can unravel this conundrum will determine public confidence in the national security outfit. The problem is that the impunity of 31st January 2019 could become a trend with ascending gravity and consequences. The activities of political vigilantism as we saw in the past two years included the invasion of offices, health facilities and other state institutions to remove people from their official functions. These groups got away with such acts. They invaded court rooms and scared judges. They were not held accountable. None of these gangsters acting with so much impunity in broad day light have been severely punished for their actions. Should it surprise Ghanaians that they have been emboldened increasingly to commit the unimaginable atrocities? Why do we expect that they will not continue and graduate to new levels of heightened impunity as we saw on 31st January 2019 during the by-election?

The chorus now from the highest office of our land to the guidance of moral authority such as the Catholic Bishops Conference of Ghana are calling for investigations on the violence during the by-election of 31st January. These calls have been made before. The Police indeed have been directed in the past to investigate crimes perpetuated by vigilante groups. Nothing happened. What will make the difference now? I go back to my earlier posts and reinforce my argument that while the Police must be supported to fulfil their constitutional mandate to protect Ghanaians with fairness in democratic policing, the madness of political vigilantism surpasses the Ghana police on their own to halt it.

First, beginning with our President, and joined by the chairman of the NPP, there must be an unequivocal statement disbanding, disavowing, disowning and renouncing vigilantism within the NPP. For posterity and for the sake of his legacy and contribution to the development of Ghana, our President must marshal the political will to do this. Similarly, the leadership of my own NDC must reverse any endorsement of newly formed vigilante groups such as the Hawks. It is even atrocious to hear voices within the NDC to arm the Hawks to defend NDC members. Have we sunk so low that in the democratic political competition to serve mother Ghana, we are prepared to destroy one another? How is it possible for anyone to say they love Ghana when they are prepared to bring harm to fellow Ghanaians all in the name of unbridle negative political competition? Following on, we must seek reconciliation and embrace political tolerance in our democratic space and our discourse before elections 2020. we must tone down the rhetoric of political violence. This brings into focus, our National Peace Council.

I doft my hat to a respected woman who is our current chair of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE). She is blunt and courageous in naming the problem and advocating solutions without antagonizing herself with political actors. On the contrary and regrettably, the Chair of our National Peace Council has drifted from his role as convener for dialogue and reconciliation and rather competes with political actors in issuing statements and condemnations. The Peace Council, unlike other institutions must bring the voice of reasoning and healing in our political space all the time and reframe from the temptation of making statements and interviews in the media that adds on to the antagonism in the political discourse.

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