The Azorka Menace

We ignore the danger posed by the Azorka menace to national security, as some seek to do hypocritically, at the peril of our burgeoning democracy.

We are returning to this subject because unless all Ghanaians get involved in a national conversation on how to stop a ruling party-approved gang of thugs from prosecuting an agenda of frustrating other parties on the political space, democracy will be denied the necessary oxygen to function and blossom in the best of interest of the nation.

The ill-fated Talensi by-election and matters arising thereof have exposed this fault-line and therefore presenting us with two options – to stop this dangerous government-supported thuggery or pretend it does not exist and see the country disintegrate into chaos.

The Talensi by-election was a replication of what the thugs executed in previous polls before it, full of confidence derived from their association with the political establishment, especially the Interior Minister.

The polls generated a worrying level of debris on the political plane, violence which could have thrown the whole country into an avoidable and unnecessary state of anarchy, but for providence.

Even policemen deployed to what had become a theatre of violence fuelled by Azorka and his gangs were not spared the assaults of the NDC Northern Regional Chairman when they (policemen) dared to engage him professionally.

Fearing the repercussions of calling the bluff of the AK 47-wielding thugs, which could come in the form of various degrees of victimisation, they could only watch in awe as one of them was heckled and shoved by Sofo Azorka.

As to why they could not deal with the master thug, Azorka, a bleary-eyed policeman said he could not go to that level considering the status of the man who doubled as the Northern Regional chairman of the ruling party (NDC). With over 100 cases of thuggery and usurpation of land from less powerful citizens, according to the cop, it is glaring why Azorka continues to straddle the political plane like a colossus unscathed.

For the NPP, the target of the orchestrated thuggery with Azorka leading the charge, it has dawned on them that they can no longer rely on state agents to secure them under the prevailing circumstances.

The Azorka menace has become an albatross around the neck of the NDC, weighing them down in the process.

In as much as we do not seek to encourage the festering of a free-for-all political violence, it can be concluded without ambiguity that allowing the Azorka thuggery would be asking the targeted NPP to respond accordingly.

The democratisation of violence endemic to the NDC is the source of the bloodcurdling traits manifested by its appendage – Azorka and his rogues.

Maybe the NPP should learn from this dirty politics of its opponents if it does not want to be denied the political oxygen to survive in a politically harsh environment. After all, the appropriate response to a bully is to stand up to his rough tactics.

The spectre of violence in the NDC started since 1992 and has degenerated to the stage of sponsoring a gang of thugs whose dossier includes the 'barazim' studded Koforidua congress and the University of Ghana riot, running party engagement and now AK 47-wielding rogues inter alia. Violence has over the years become a norm in the party.

It is in the best interest of the NDC to convince Ghanaians that the menace posed by Azorka would be held at bay rather than the chorus about banning non-existent rival party sponsored gangs.

Under any decent dispensation, Mark Woyongo would have long exited his post after spewing the garbage, 'violence begets violence.' We do not expect him to be sacked anyway, given the quality of governance operable in the country and the fact that the remark is reflective of what the NDC believes in and has relished over the years.

Political parties should join forces against the glaring danger to our democracy by joining in a national conversation.

It is not the perpetrators of violence who matter most, but those who witness the degeneration of society through this and fail to act.

We may return to this subject in the not too distant future.