Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Asante, Chairman of the National Peace Council

The National Peace Council is expected to resume its dialogue aimed at ending political vigilantism in Ghana today, Tuesday.

The dialogue will focus on the possible adoption of the Technical Committee’s draft on Roadmap and Code of Ethics as part of steps towards ending vigilantism.

The dialogue was instituted by the National Peace Council following the violence that marred the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency by-election on January 31, 2019.

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The dialogue has so far brought together representatives of the two major political parties – the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress; the Ghana Police Service; Institute for Democratic Governance; and the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.

In addition to the peace council deliberations, President Akufo-Addo in September 2019 also gave his assent to the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, which bans acts of vigilantism in Ghana.

The law indicates among other things that A person who directly or indirectly instigates or solicits the activity of a vigilante, facilitates or encourages vigilantism, or conceals a vigilante to avoid lawful arrest, commits an offence, and is liable, on conviction, to a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years and not more than 15 years.