Pro-militia politicians to face jail term, 10-year ban – Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

A jail term, as well as a 10-year ban from active politics in the country, awaits leaders of political parties who endorse the activities of militia groups, Majority Leader of Parliament Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has revealed.

Political militarism has been the bane of Ghanaian politics and has been frowned upon by civil society organisations, churches and the majority of Ghanaians who have called on political parties affiliated to such groups to dissolve them.

In a bid to deal with the menace, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appealed to the two main parties, the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to disband those groups.

The failure by the parties to do that has forced the President to lay before Parliament, a bill to outlaw the activities of political party-affiliated militia groups, which is currently at the consideration stage.

At a stakeholder’s forum on the monetisation of politics on Monday, 8 July 2019, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu expressed optimism that the bill will be passed into law by the House today, Tuesday, 9 July 2019 to root out political party militarism.

He said politicians, who encourage militias may face a jail term and a ban from politics for a decade.

“What we intend to do is to even identify political parties that harbour these vigilante groups. The leadership of that political party is going to face the law and we intend to imprison them for harbouring such vigilante groups in their party and then after serving the sentence, at least 10 years will have to elapse before you’re brought back into mainstream politics,” Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.

Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com