North Tongu: Vigilantes can only hold public office 10years after serving their prison sentence — Police Commander cautions youth

The North Tongu District Police Commander A.S.P. Stanley Avorgbedor has admonished the youths to stay away from vigilantism and land guard activities since they risk not being able to hold a political office for 10 years when convicted.

He said the vigilante Act made it clear that ex-convicts of vigilantism and landguard crimes can only hold a public or a political office 10 years after serving their jail term.

ASP Stanley Avegbedor who was speaking at a town hall meeting organized by the North Tongu District Directorate of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) said both vigilantism and landguard activities do not promote peace in the country.

“Both vigilantism and land guard activities do not promote peace in a country and landguard activities fall under the vigilantism Act “, he said.

The North Tongu District Police Commander noted that the vigilante ACT 999 passed by the 7th Parliament in 2019 seeks to end vigilantism and landguard activities, adding that “the vigilante Act does not prevent the formation of ‘Community Watchdogs’ that protect the community from thieves and wrongdoers”.

He stressed that there are laws that govern the country and “if a person feels threatened, the appropriate authorities must be informed for protection and there has not been a justification for anyone taking the laws into their own hands.”

Mr Daniel Glikpo the North Tongu District Director of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) added that everyone must take peaceful coexistence as their priority since peace paves way for development. “Those with secessionist inclinations should drop it because the constitution does not allow it and Ghana has been a unitary state since,” he intimated.

Marthin Wudzi, one of the participants added that vigilantism is a huge challenge that requires that the law is elaborated enough to deal with every offence and offender.

“There are some land disputes when you report to the police, they will tell you they don’t handle such land issues necessitating people to take the laws into their own hands. The law should permit the Police to delve into all traditional disputes”, he said.

Some of the youths applauded the NCCE for the enlightenment and promised to be good ambassadors in their communities.

The town hall meeting was organized by the North Tongu District Directorate of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with the Ministry of National Security on violent extremism.

Source:Modernghana.com/