NPP condemns arrest of radio host Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah by National Security operatives

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has strongly condemned the arrest and detention of veteran journalist Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah by National Security operatives, calling it an attack on press freedom.

The journalist, known for his outspoken criticism of the John Mahama administration, was reportedly picked up in what the NPP describes as an unlawful act aimed at silencing dissenting voices in the media.

In a statement issued on March 19, 2025, and signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP denounced the arrest as part of a growing pattern of state-sponsored attacks on journalists under the current administration.

“This unlawful action by the marauding operatives of the National Security is the latest instalment of the ongoing series of state-sponsored attacks on the media by the NDC government, in their desperate attempt to silence the media and curtail press freedom,” the statement read.

The party commended Ghanaians who spoke out against the arrest and acknowledged the efforts of young activists and legal professionals who intervened to secure the journalist’s release.

The NPP further reminded the Mahama-led administration that Ghana’s democratic foundations—strengthened by the repeal of the Criminal and Seditious Libel Law in 2001 under former President John Kufuor—must not be eroded.

“It is completely repugnant and unacceptable for the John Mahama administration to be using State Security to intimidate political opponents as well as media personnel in a bid to silence all critical voices,” the statement added.

The party urged the Ghana Journalists Association, the Media Foundation for West Africa, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to condemn what they described as a growing culture of tyranny and state-sponsored attacks on press freedom.