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“People are just reading meanings into my 'violence begets violence' comment but I will say this over and over again. Calls for the President to sack me is really unfortunate, that is laughable,” Interior Minister Mark Woyongo said in an interview on NEAT FM’s morning show, "Ghana Montie" in an interview with Akwasi Aboagye.

Beleagured Mark Woyongo, Minister for the Interior, has deflected calls for his resignation over the “violence begets violence” comments he purportedly made on a Kumasi based radio station.

The Interior Minister, on Wednesday, stirred controversy when he jumped to the defence of the vigilante groups who were allegedly involved in the Talensi clashes, describing their actions as a pure case of a sparking of reprisal attacks. 

While machetes and other sharp objects were flying about – guns were fired – cars were also destroyed, all in in the name of winning the by-election.

So violent were the clashes that several political figures were left injured after some members of the two main political parties attacked each other. 

"Violence begets violence. Azoka boys will not act violent if they are not provoked. The other side also brought in some people…the Invincible Forces, the Bolga Boys, so violence begets violence. What I mean is that if you are a peace lover and someone comes to attack you, definitely you have to protect yourself,” he said in an interview on Ultimate FM.

Woyongo’s comments have been criticized by majority of Ghanaians with some even calling on President John Dramani Mahama to ‘fire him’.

But to the Interior Minister, such calls are baseless and unfounded. And as if to drum home his point, Mark Woyongo stressed that "still stands by his words".

He offered some explanations.

There is the need to look into the background of politically-motivated vigilante groups such as his Party’s "Azorka Boys" and the main opposition NPP’s "Bolga Bulldogs" that perpetrated violence during the Talensi by-election and take a decision on them, the Narongo Central NDC MP told Akwasi Aboagye. And if possibly, give them a legally operating license, he adds.

“People are just reading meanings into my 'violence begets violence' comment but I will say this over and over again. Calls for the President to sack me is really unfortunate, that is laughable,” Mark Woyongo said in an interview on NEAT FM’s morning show, "Ghana Montie".