The National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) has challenged the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law by causing the arrest of members of the vigilante group, Delta Force, following a near attack on a Minister.

Chairperson of the Commission, Josephine Nkrumah said the criminal activities of the group, which is affiliated to the governing party, have reached national crisis levels.

Image: Josephine Nkrumah is the chairperson of NCCE

Background

Members of Delta Force over the weekend attempted to attack the Minister for Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, at Tafo Pankrono, where he is also the Legislator.

Watch video of the incident below

Even though the Minister was whisked away to safety, the action of the group disrupted the planned meeting between the Minister and NPP constituency executives.

 The pro-NPP vigilante group was allegedly agitating over the Minister’s failure to fulfil his promise to get the government to recruit them into the security agencies of the country.

The heavy-set young men allegedly chased out the lawmaker and destroyed chairs arranged for the meeting.

Crisis level

Addressing a news conference in Accra on Monday, the Chairperson of the NCCE, Josephine Nkrumah,  said the recurring attacks on state officials and installations by the political vigilante group has reached levels worth classifying as "a national crisis" hence demanded a state-led swift action.

In condemning the actions of the Delta Force, madam Nkrumah also called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), National Security Minister and other stakeholders to disband all vigilante groups and enforce the rule of law.

Previous attacks

In March last year, more than 200 members of Delta Force attacked the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator and physically hounded him out of office.

The group claimed at the time that it cannot work with George Agyei because he was not part of the struggle to wrestle power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the December 2016 general elections.

The group has been vocal in their resistance of the appointment of George Agyei and had insisted that a party person ought to occupy the post.

In June of last year too, Delta Force members also set free suspects and members of Force who were facing prosecution for acts of vandalism.

The attack captured on video showed how the group, numbering about 50, besieged the Kumasi Circuit court premises, in chants and taunts, broke into the court cells and freed their members who had only weeks ago chased out the Regional Security Coordinator appointed by the president.

In that attack, State Prosecutors discontinued the case because it failed to gather evidence to prosecute the members of the vigilante group who stormed the court house.

Related: GBA condemns sickening, horrifying Delta Force attack