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Rev Frimpong Manso
Rev Frimpong Manso

Govt’s responses on Osu Castle ‘militia’ unimpressive – Pentecostal Council

The Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council (GPCC) has said that  government’s responses on the Joy News documentary on the alleged militia group at the Osu Castle is not impressive.

"The responses have not so much impressed me. Whether it was a security company or not, a security zone or not, I will not allow my house or my office or my room to be taken over by somebody to run his own personal business for over two months, they are alleging, August to October, and that National Security will not be able to get them?"

"Also there was inconsistency in the fact that they [government] say they [group] were driven away in October but in December, there was also a programme there, so all these things tell us that we are not secure. I will ask people in government especially National Security, to be very vigilant and be on top of things," Rev Frimpong Manso, President of the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council said.

Wading into the debate after the Joy News documentary that alleged the existence of a pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) militia group that had operated at the Osu Castle, the Pentecostal Council said government's reaction to the documentary has not been impressive.

Adding he said, "the responses too were not the best to me. Saying that at least it has open our eyes, the state apparatus, the state machinery, the government should be up and doing in terms of these things. Because I have said that even though they may not be a vigilante group or whatever.., we can still not be justified to have those people there. And I believe that it should be investigated and those people involved should be punished to deter others from doing it," Rev Frimpong Manso added.

Expressing how the council was appalled about the fact that the two main political parties NPP and National Democratic Congress (NDC) have still not been able to meet as President Akufo-Addo directed in the State of the Nation address, Rev Frimpong Manso said the church was committed and ready to galvanise and mobilise its members to demonstrate against the two parties.

"We ask the government in power, the lead opposition party - NDC, these two parties are the parties harbouring or incubating or sponsoring or managing vigilante groups. We came out clearly in no uncertain terms, that these two parties should disband their vigilante groups and we had a healthy response from his Excellency the President during his SONA [State of the Nation] address, he inviting the NDC for them to sit together within a week and disband it. The NDC also came out that they will want it to be disbanded but for them the president should involve other mediators like the Peace Council and the clergy. We the GPCC even came out to say that we are available but we have seen that it has turned out to be rhetorics, accusation and counter-accusations..."

"We are appalled, we are discouraged, we don't see the way clear but for the GPCC, our timelines are intact, we are waiting... and within the next two months if we don't see vigilantism disbanded, we will take to the street and make a peaceful protest... and tell our people to reject any political party that promotes vigilantism. We are over 8 million and for this time we are serious and we will not allow politicians to display any politricks on us, the power belongs to us, we have given it to them, and we will make sure that vigilantism never succeed, 

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