National Communication team member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Padmore Baffour Agyapong has posited that many Ghanaian youth have joined political vigilante groups as a means of survival.
According to him, if there were many opportunities available to the youth, the recent attacks and forceful removal of the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, DCOP retired Ayensu Opare Addo out of his office would not have happened.
“Members of the disbanded pro-NPP vigilante group, Delta Force are engaged in such unlawful activities because we lack opportunities in the country. If there were great opportunities for the youth in Ghana, no one would’ve gone to humiliate the former regional police commander to that extent.”
“If there were good opportunities for the youth, members of the Delta Force will not even consider following any politician to cause such disorder. They would not have left their meaningful jobs to cause such mayhem at the office of the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator. We can only bring a complete end to political vigilantism by creating jobs for the youth”, Padmore indicated.
A group of persons suspected to be part of the disbanded pro-NPP vigilante group, the Delta Force, were reported to have been arrested for allegedly attempting to forcibly remove the Regional Security Coordinator, DCOP retired Ayensu Opare Addo from his office on Tuesday May, 11, 2021.
Reports further indicated that Police personnel from the Ashanti Regional Police Command, led by the Deputy Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP David Agyemang Adjem, subsequently arrested the said members of the group.
But a member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Ashanti Regional Security Structure, Mohammed Haruna aka Odenke, who is also a former member of the Delta Force debunked rumours of the members of the Force being arrested for attempting to forcefully remove DCOP retired Ayensu Opare Addo out of office.
He made this known in an interview on Happy98.9FM’s Epa Hoa Daben political talk show with Don Kwabena Prah.
Barely a week after Odenke’s claim, DCOP retired Ayensu Opare Addo himself has come out to confirm the rumours.
On his account, members of the Delta Force did not only drag him out of his office, but they also handcuffed and pointed a gun to his head in full glare of the public.
Padmore who regards DCOP retired Ayensu Opare Addo as an honourable man who should have been treated with more dignity said, “What members of the Delta Force did was not right and they should be condemned and the regional minister should be blamed for allowing such a thing happen under his watch”.