Western Regional Peace Council holds Advocacy campaign on eradicating vigilantism

As part of measures to ensure peace before, during and after the December polls, the Western Regional branch of the National Peace Council has held an advocacy campaign on the eradication of vigilantism to ensure peace in the upcoming elections.

The programme, sponsored by the Danish Embassy, brought together representatives of youth groups, political parties, Christian mothers and fathers association, security agencies and the Electoral Commission.

The programme according to the peace council was to find lasting solutions to act of violence during elections.

In an address read on behalf of the Western Regional Peace Council, Mr Osei Yaw Owusu-Sekyere said politically related violence perpetrated by party-affiliated vigilante groups had become a major threat to Ghana's democracy and the peace of the nation in particular.

He, therefore, called for a concerted effort by all and sundry to help in fighting the menace and the two major political parties thus the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and new patriotic party (NPP) to work together to address political vigilantism in the country.

Mr Owusu-Sekyere called on political parties to abide by the vigilantism and related offences Act of 2019(Act 999) to live in harmony with each other.

He gave the assurance that the Regional Peace Council would do everything possible to ensure peace before, during and after the December elections.
He commended the Danish Embassy for sponsoring the programme.

Very Reverend Kwame Kyem-Ampomah, Dean Cathedral Church of Ascension, Sefwi-Waiwso on his part called for tolerance among residents to ensure co-existence for national development.

He gave the assurance that the clergy would use the pulpit to preach about peace.

Alhaji Abdul Raman, who represented the Muslim communities asked the youth to avoid violence and promised to meet youth groups in Zongo communities to educate them to resist attempts by politicians to use them to cause trouble.

Mr Abdul Rufai, Sefwi-Waiwso Constituency Secretary of the NDC and Mr Thomas Mensah representative of the NPP all gave the assurance that they would educate their members especially the youth on what they have learnt and on the need to ensure peace in their communities.

Mr Rufai disclosed that the leadership of the NPP and NDC in the Waiwso constituency had agreed to hold unity games later in the month on the need to ensure peace and avoid political violence.