A Deputy Minister of Sports under the erstwhile Mahama administration, Joseph Yamin has stated categorically the party militia group affiliated with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), the ‘Hawks’ cannot be disbanded.

Mr. Yamin indicated that the ‘Hawks’ is not a vigilante group contrary to the widely held public perception, adding that it is rather a breakaway group from the NDC Taskforce in Ashanti Region.

The former deputy Ashanti Regional Minister made the comment despite calls by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, civil society organisations, the clergy and Ghanaians in general, for party militias to be disbanded.

Speaking in an interview, he stated that the ‘Hawks’ is a law-abiding group which has never engaged in criminal activities like other vigilante groups such as the Delta Forces and Invisible Forces have.

I’m not the founder of the ‘Hawks’ but I associate myself with them. How do we disband the ‘Hawks’ because they are not a vigilante group, as far as I’m concerned the ‘Hawks’ are just a breakaway faction from the NDC Taskforce. They broke away because of leadership crisis, to them the leadership of the Taskforce didn’t seek their welfare hence their breakaway. They are not the first to break away, from 2009, the NDC Taskforce in Ashanti Region has suffered several breakaways. So we had Taskforce one, Taskforce Two and Taskforce three, Baashaka group, and the latest addition is the ‘Hawks’.

Yamin added: Apart from the Kumasi shooting incident that was linked to an alleged member of the ‘Hawks’  what has the group done that threatens the peace of this country. Why is it that whenever there’s talk about disbanding vigilante groups, people are quick to mention the ‘Hawks’. On the contrary, the ‘Hawks’ has become popular for their good works. When you talk about Invisible Forces, Delta Forces you have something to talk about the crimes they’ve committed, but no such thing can be said about ‘Hawks’ or the NDC Taskforce. We don’t have vigilante groups in the NDC party.”