20 self defense groups to dissolve

General News of Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Source: Dailyguidenetwork.com

2019-07-10

Parliament has identified 20 self-defense groups that must be dissolved after the adoption of the Vigilantism and Other Offenses Bill, which is expected to be pbaded before the suspension of parliamentary proceedings on 2 August.

Self-defense groups mentioned in the bill and who must be dissolved are Al Jazeera, Al Qaeda, Aluta Boys, Gbewaa youth, Asamankan forces, Aluta Boys, 66 Bench, Eastern Mambas, Burma camp , Bukurisung and Baafira.

The others are NATO forces, Pentagon, Crocodiles, Taliban Boys, Dragons, Rasta Boys, Rock, Tohazie Lions and Se Se Group.

Yesterday, during the consideration of the bill in Parliament, the deputies of Adaklu and South Dayi, Kwame Agbodza and Rockson-Nelson Defeamakpor, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as well as the deputy Asante of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Akim Central, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, had baderted forcefully that the names of the identified militia groups should not have appeared in the bill because once adopted , the bill would naturally concern any identified militia group.

According to the three MPs, there is no detectable link with these identified groups and, even if they exist, they would feel victimized by the fact that their name is mentioned in the bill.

But the majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, and NDC MP for Wa West, Joseph Yieleh Chireh, disagreed with the three MPs, saying that these alleged groups were the reason for the adoption. of the law, because after President Akufo-Addo appealed to political parties to voluntarily dissolve groups of political vigils, they were categorical and that is why the president introduced the draft law on vigilance and other offenses to outlaw the operation of such groups.

The member for Wa West said that if the names were removed from the bill, there would be no justification for pbading it because the bill was introduced in Parliament. Therefore, their records in the bill would certainly validate the law.

MPs who debated the amended provisions of the bill also gave the Minister of the Interior the power to appear before Parliament when new groups emerge through legislation to inform parliamentarians of these new groups. Self-defense and justify their dissolution.

Some of the deputies had argued that the Minister of the Interior should instead have the executive power to dissolve such groups, but the opponents said that such an executive power was entrusted to the minister, he could have it. use arbitrarily without the consent of Parliament.

The Vigilante group has been defined in the bill as two or more persons acting as a group, organization, badociation or organization resorting to an act, threat, violence or intimidation to defend their interests or the interests of their sponsors or benefactors for economic or social reasons. financial reward or for sponsorship.