Macho Men want to monitor Election 2012 …To protect lives, property
From Sebastian R. Freiku, Kumasi
An emerging Macho Men for Good and Justice, a duly registered association of macho men established since January this year, has expressed its desire to partner the security agencies to monitor the December elections, in order to protect lives and ensure a peaceful and successful elections.
Nana Kwabena Boakye, Founder of the association, told The Chronicle that the stand follows their resolve to channel their strength and valour into protecting the lives and properties of the country, unlike the previous years when they were engaged to cause unrest.
He said macho men should not intimidate the populace by running around the various polling stations to foment trouble, but rather be agents of change, to enhance the democratic credentials of the country.
According to Nana Boakye, their (mach omen) involvement in the monitoring of the elections would help minimise troubles associated with balloting, since their members are easily identified.
Nana Boakye, an ex-Kyidomhene of Saben Akrofuon in the Atwima Kwanwoma district of the Ashanti Region, said the formation of the union followed the need to engage the macho men in employment, and discourage politicians from using them to cause trouble.
He said the 6,500 membership of the association across the country had resolved to ensure that the peace and tranquility the country enjoyed was protected.
By the association’s constitution, no member macho man will be allowed to be used for perpetrating injustices and evil in society, since their major preoccupation was to fight injustice and uphold good and justice for all citizens and residents of Ghana.
He said there was the need to keep macho men busy by deploring them to the polling stations and not encourage them to satisfy the whims and caprices of politicians who he said they (macho men) are fed up with their selfish gains.
Nana Boakye warned that by the nature of the duties, security personnel, as professionals, should not operate on partisan lines to safeguard peace loving Ghanaians.
The founder of the Macho Men for Good and Justice said the security apparatus of the state should be independent, noting that when the security personnel operate on partisan lines, the security base of the country is weakened, and could be a potential trigger and recipe for chaos and instability.
He, therefore, called for the support of the National Peace Council, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Electoral Commission (EC) to consider their involvement in the monitoring of the December polls, emphasising that the presence of one macho man at a polling station was enough to scare away trouble makers.
The ex-Kyidomhene noted that with the backing of National Security, a peaceful election was guaranteed under their watch.
Nana Boakye recommended that the use of motorbikes and pick-up vehicles by persons around polling stations should be banned on election day, and that any group of persons who go against this directive should be made to face the full rigours of the law.
The union leader called on parents, particularly of Zongo youthful macho men, to advise their wards against being used by influential people in society to perpetrate injustices and evil.
He also called for corporate support for the sensitisation of its members across the country, through workshops and seminars for its members to effectively champion its objectives for the benefit of society.
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