Vigilantism Bill laid before Parliament

0
Members of NDC's vigilante group --the Hawks

A Bill seeking to ban all acts of vigilantism in Ghana has been laid before Parliament for consideration and approval on Thursday.

The Bill when passed into an Act will outlaw the activities of vigilante groupings and prohibit their formation.

The laying of the Bill comes days after President Akufo-Addo instructed the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Gloria Akuffo to lay before the law making chamber legislation to disband all forms of political party vigilante groups in the country.

“Since the constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order in out country is that of the Executive, ie. the President of the Republic, I have in line with my pronouncement to Parliament during the Message of the State of the Nation on 21st February, 2019 instructed the Attorney General, without prejudice to the outcome of the engagement, in any, between the NPP and the NDC to prepare and submit to Parliament, as soon as possible, specific legislation to deal with the phenomenon of vigilantism, and provide appropriate sanctions against its occurrence.”

“I believe that the parliamentary process of enactment affords sufficient space for any citizen to make an input or contribution to the enactment of a good and effective law, whose implementation will enable us rid our nation of politically-related violence, a development that can only inure to the benefit of Ghanaian democracy and to the preservation of law and order,” he said  in a response to an open letter written to him by the Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo following his call on both the NDC and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) to dialogue and fashion out a way to deal with the situation earlier this year.

The Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye has consequently referred the bill to the Constitution, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs committee to be considered under a certificate of urgency.

Source: Daily Mail Gh Staff

GOT A STORY?
Email Daily Mail GH: stories@dailymailgh.com or
Whatsapp: +233(0)509928122


LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here