Invite warmongers - Aning tells police

It is high time the security agencies, especially the Ghana Police Service, started inviting for questioning politicians who incite violence, security analyst Dr Kwesi Aning has said.

Speaking in an interview with Emefa Apawu on Class91.3FM’s 505 news programme on Tuesday, 18 October, about a recent comment by the opposition NPP’s Northern regional chairman, Daniel Bugri Naabu, that his party would use 40 armed civilians to police the polls in the December 7 elections, Dr Kwesi Aning said: “There is something wrong somewhere.”

Mr Bugri Naabu said the NPP would adopt the use of armed civilians to prevent “naked thievery” in the polls.

Dr Aning, however, said the use of such language was festering because, “First, the security agencies, especially the police service, are not using the law to deter people from hateful and inciting language.

“Number two is the failure of the political parties themselves and their leadership to distance themselves from statements that are unbecoming of their political parties. …I think all our political parties have failed in terms of the language that they use that really insult our common humanity, so, there is a problem here and I think it casts a slur on all of us as Ghanaians and I’m hoping that the Ghana Police Service will be a little bit bolder and proactive in inviting people for a polite conversation and encouraging them to desist from using language that is threatening, that is abusive, that is hateful, and encourages and glorifies the use of violence.”

In his view, once the Police Service starts inviting politicians for questioning, it will serve as a deterrent.