The State of Insecurity In Ghana: An Upsurge In Political Vigilantism A Key Factor

Introduction
Peace is essential for economic development, and security, generally is what enables people to create the wealth necessary for progress and development. The core threat to global peace and security today is not a war between two nation-states, but an era of arms proliferation, terrorism and political vigilantism among others within states. Ghana is often championed as a citadel of peace in a turbulent region, but violence occurs from time to time, involving mayhems and attacks by political party vigilante groups. It is against this background that the West Africa Peace Ambassadors Network (WAPAN) examines the state of insecurity in Ghana and provides strategic measures to curb violence and lawlessness in the country.

Methodology
The WAPAN relied on secondary data for this article. The data were obtained in three months (from 15 November 2017 to January, 15, 2018) focusing on accounts of the lawlessness perpetrated by vigilante groups affiliated and/or funded by the two main political parties in Ghana; the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition party, National Democratic Congress (NDC). Online news articles, print media/newspapers, magazines and occasional papers were critically reviewed for this article.

Why Ghana Is Considered A Peaceful Nation?
Globally, Ghana is described as an oasis of peace and stability on a continent circumvented by conflicts. The country has not experienced any form of large-scale political violence or civil war since independence in March 1957. Since 1992, Ghana has witnessed peaceful politico-democratic transitions. The peaceful general elections that were held in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 have made Ghana a symbol of hope for democracy, good governance, peace and security in Africa. What is equally significant is that in the past decade, the Ghanaian electorates have freely ensured a turnover of government between the two main political parties; NPP and NDC without violence.

Moreover, Ghana plays a significant role in resolving conflicts and keeping peace in the West African sub region and beyond. For instance, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) and Police Service have been at the forefront of peacekeeping in Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Mali, Cote D'Ivoire, Rwanda, Lebanon and Cambodia among others. Additionally, Ghana has hosted a significant number of refugees from Liberia and Cote D'Ivoire. It is for this and other related reasons that the American Fund for Peace in 2009 was prompted to describe Ghana as the most peaceful and stable country in Africa.

Where Did Ghana Go Wrong?
In spite of the international acclamation and praises for a flourishing democracy, Ghana is faced with diverse forms of violence emanating from the activities of vigilante groups funded by the two main political parties in Ghana. The phenomenon of political party vigilante groups and their activities have been an aberration in Ghana’s politics, especially in the Fourth Republic. Since the 2000s, the level of violence that has characterised the activities of political vigilante groups has increased in each phase of the electoral cycle in Ghana. The next section defines certain terms used in the article, and looks at some of the political vigilante groups and their financiers as well as their vicious actions.

Definition of Terms
Political vigilantism may be defined as individuals or groups usually youth groups, who are recruited and/or hired as affiliates or members of a political party for security purposes. Political vigilantism may also be defined as an instance where organised armed or unarmed groups are deployed as private armed forces to safeguard the electoral prosperity of political parties. These groups are often made up of the mass unemployed youth usually muscular in nature/‘macho men’. They are illegal and informal in nature as such, they might be known by a few political party gurus. Their major functions include crusading for votes and safeguarding the security of their political masters. Some are prepared to intimidate supporters and political opponents of their masters. The governing NPP and the main opposition party NDC have attained notoriety for funding vigilante groups in Ghana for such purpose. The next section presents activities of the political vigilante groups in Ghana.

Accounts of NDC Funded Vigilante Groups
The NDC is a centre-left, social democratic political party founded in July 28, 1992 by Jerry John Rawlings, who was Head of State of Ghana from 1981 to 1993 and the President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001. The NDC lost the presidency in the 2000 election, and it was not until the 2008 election that they regained it with candidate Prof. Evans John Atta Mills. From 2008 to 2016, vigilante groups of the NDC indulged in a series of lawlessness. The NDC’s funded vigilante groups include the Sese Boys, Veranda Boys, Aluta Boys, Azorka Boys, Gbewaa Youth, NATO Forces, etc. As soon as Prof. Mills was sworn into office on 7 January 2009, the mayhem began. People like Kofi Portuphy and Amegashie, NDC gurus, who lost their jobs when NPP came to power, simply went back to their jobs.

Also, the foot soldiers or revolutionaries or however they called themselves, followed suit by seizing all the facilities being operated by the past regime, including toilets, lorry stations, bridges etc. Unfortunately, they did not limit their activities to snatching of the facilities. Some of them launched attacks on their perceived enemies killing some of them (Source: Myjoyonline). For example, November 3, 2010, the Daily Searchlight Newspaper reported that, the fearful Azorka Boys stormed the Kanda office of the Hajj Committee and brutalised one Alhaji Alidu Haruna, and vandalised the office.

The lawlessness continued when on 9 December 2012, the Electoral Commission of Ghana declared NDC candidate John Dramani Mahama to be President-elect after a hotly contested race in which he won 50.7% of votes cast. The NPP, then in opposition, blamed the party’s defeat in the 2015 by-election in the Talensi constituency on the Azorka Boys for allegedly meddling in the voting process with lethal weapons and unleashed a hail of bullets sporadically at polling stations believed to be strongholds of the NPP to prevent its supporters from voting (Source: Starrfmonline). Similarly, on 5 November 2013: Modern Ghana Online News reported that the NATO Forces ransacked the private residence of former Mayor of Tamale, Alhaji Harunah Abdulai Friday and without authorisation by the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), the group retrieved the assembly's Ford Everest vehicle. Activities of the NDC funded vigilante groups, especially the Azorka Boys and NATO Forces intimidated democratic elections, causing insecurity, particularly in Northern Ghana.

Records of NPP Sponsored Vigilante Groups
The NPP is a centre-right and liberal conservative party founded in 1992 by Victor Owusu, B. J. Da Rocha. Since the democratisation of Ghana in 1992, it has been one of the two dominant parties in Ghana politics. Ghana’s President, Akufo Addo was chosen as the NPP's candidate for a third time in the 2016 elections and defeated John Dramani Mahama of the NDC in the first round, winning 53.83% of the votes.

Following a historic win in the last presidential and parliamentary elections, Ghanaians were hopeful of an enhanced security and sanity in the governance system. Surprisingly, the expectation dwindled in no time with worsening vigilante actions. Consequently, the manifestations of NPP funded vigilante groups continued from the transition and into the governing period. The groups include the Invincible Forces, Delta Forces, Kandahar Boys, Bolga Bull Dogs, Bamba Boys, Dazota Boys, Volta Crocodile, Atlantic Bases, Burma Camp Youth Wing, and Holland Bases among others. Notable headlines instances of lawlessness by the vigilante groups affiliated with the NPP as reported by Starrfmonline and Citifmonline are listed below:

October 25, 2016: NPP youth invades police station, free suspects in Karaga. December 12, 2016: Alleged NPP supporters take over the Tema Motorway toll booth. December 13, 2016: Two alleged NPP supporters arrested for attempting to seize toilet facilities. January 9, 2017: Policeman at Flagstaff House assaulted by an Invincible Forces member. January 10, 2017: NPP youth lockup NHIS office in Bodi. January 13, 2017: NPP chairman arrested over illegal seizure of toll booth. January 13, 2017: Five arrested for seizing AMA tolls, assaulting collector. January 14, 2017: NPP supporters take over public toilets in Koforidua. February 22, 2017: NPP’s Kandahar Boys ‘torment’ Tamale Teaching Hospital CEO. March 25, 2017: NPP’s Delta Force attack Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator. March 30, 2017: Invincible Forces attack school feeding caterers in Atebubu. April 3, 2017: NPP’s Invincible Forces allegedly lock up Eastern Regional NHIS office. April 6, 2017: NPP Delta Forces storms court; set suspects free. June 15, 2017: NPP youth clash with police in Savelugu over MCE position. July 25, 2017: ‘Unemployed’ NPP youth seizes contractor’s equipment over jobs. July 27, 2017: NPP youth storm Ashanti MMT terminal over new director. August 1, 2017: NPP Invincible Forces threaten chaos over jobs. October 16, 2017: NPP youth lockup School Feeding office in Tamale. These are the key mayhems of the NPP affiliated vigilante groups.

Causes of Vigilantism in Ghana
First of all, the formation and violence of vigilante groups can be attributed to the widespread of poverty, and the significant number of unemployed youth in the country. According to the economic theory of conflict, conflict entrepreneurs (conflict profiteers) usually manipulate the frustrated unemployed youth in fuming conflictual flames. Thus, political parties employ such groups to either cause mayhem/intimidation normally before, during and after elections or in ensuring the provision of their private security. Consequently, most of these unemployed youth might want to belong to such vigilante groups since they see it as an avenue of soliciting for money from the politicians or gaining employment when they come into power. According to the human-needs conflict theorists, frustrated youth find joy in connecting with such groups in order to access basic needs like employment, security, shelter, and in the process they engage in all sorts of violence in the orders of their paymasters.

Studies have shown that there is a direct linkage between unemployment/poverty and political vigilantism. For instance, in Ghana it has been established that areas with the high level of unemployment, particularly the three regions of the north (Upper East, Upper West, Northern regions), which falls within the poverty zone in Ghana, have become the hub of political vigilante groups. For example, while the Bolga Bulldogs and the Dazota Boys operate in the Upper East region, the Azorka Boys, Tohazie, Bukurisung, Pentagon, Gbewaa Youth, 66 Bench, Al Quaeda, NATO Forces, Kandahar Boys are also actively working in the Northern region of Ghana. One can also make reference to Rasta Boys, Sese Boys and Invincible Forces residing in Odododiodio, Ablekuma Central and Ashaiman which falls within the purview of the poverty zone in southern Ghana. Hence, unemployment has a direct link in the upsurge of political vigilantism in Ghana.

Recommendations
We humbly suggest that the government puts measures in place to bring on board all relevant stakeholders in providing employment to the mass unemployed youth, especially graduates in the country. By a way of creating employment, the minister in charge of employment, the interior minister and national security minister through the police service and military should identify, register and train these political vigilante groups to become sanitation, market and community police personnel. Apparently, if the youths are employed, they would not be motivated to neither perpetuate violence, nor allow themselves to be used for such chaotic acts by the conflict entrepreneurs, including politicians. Hence, the provision of employment to the youth would enable them to channel or transform their energies to productive usage essential for Ghana’s economic growth and development.

Most graduates after National Service end up becoming a burden to their families, while the knowledge and skills acquired becomes shabby. Obviously, the government cannot do this all alone, therefore there should be a holistic approach aimed at creating an enabling environment and supporting the private sector to expand in order to make more jobs available to the youth This can be done in a way of the trade ministry, finance ministry, Ghana Revenue Authority and other key public institutions removing nuisance taxes to help the private sector increase, expand and to employ more workers.

Also, the Ghanaian government should attach the same level of seriousness employed in the fight against illegal mining-‘galamsey’ to disbanding all political vigilante groups. Thus, government should fully equip the police service/ military and the other mainstream government security agencies to be able to effectively combat these violent political vigilante groups. Finally, non-profit and civil society organisations, including the media, leaders of religious bodies, traditional leaders, national peace council, and the academia among others should all add their voices in the fight against political vigilantism.

Abdul Karim Issifu
West Africa Peace Ambassadors Network
[email protected]