Party Militia: Don't Give Attention To Troublemakers—Media Told

The media in Ghana has been engaged to embrace the country’s efforts to curb the excesses of political vigilantism in the country.

A phenomenon, many fears, threatens the country's democratic gains.

The Chief Director of the Ministry, Dr. Evans Aggrey Darko said the media dialogue was to solicit views to enhance the content of the Bill before parliament and to engender a sense of ownership among the media fraternity.

He urged members of the media to embrace the fight against the political phenomenon which poses a serious danger to Ghana's peace and stability.i

"Its recent negative manifestations at recent by-elections have proven to be an expensive venture for the survival of democracy, " Dr. Darko intimated.

According to him, the transformation of what begun as acts of solidarity by political party foot soldiers into political party militias in its modern forms, has become a source of concern for all well-meaning Ghanaians, including the President who has forwarded the Vigilantism and Allied Offences Bill to Parliament in fulfilment of his 2019 State of the Nation’s Address promise.

The Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC), Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo called on the media to embrace the fight by condemning the phenomenon in all its forms without lending any supporting hand to those who may want to rationalize its existence for their partisan political parochial interest.

He also urged journalists who are politically aligned to desist from engaging in character assassinations against political opponents .

He said he considers them to be acts of political vigilantism.

According to him, such character assassinations against political opponents further encourage violence attacks in retaliation and are also used as justifications for employing the services of political vigilantes and party militias.

The President of the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA), Mr. Affail Monney on his part also urged journalists to be responsible in their reportage on acts of political vigilantism.

He advised them to eschew excessive sensationalisation of such stories and over popularization of beneficiaries of such incidents on their media platforms.