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Sun, 01 Jun 2025 Feature Article

My Response to Allegations Against Chairman Wontumi and the Treatment He Is Facing

My Response to Allegations Against Chairman Wontumi and the Treatment He Is Facing

Let us begin this conversation with clarity and intellectual honesty. Ghana deserves no less.

First and foremost, let it be put on record that; anyone, regardless of their name, status, or political affiliation, who is alleged to have caused financial loss to the state or broken the law must be investigated and, if found guilty through due process, prosecuted without fear or favour. That is the foundation of any just society. I, for one, support that principle wholly. I have no appetite for shielding wrongdoing, and I would be the first to commend the state if, after a fair and transparent trial, it is proven that Chairman Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, is indeed guilty of any offense.

But that is not the issue at hand.
The issue is not about stopping lawful investigations or asking for immunity for political figures. It is about how the machinery of the state is used or misused in such processes. It is about the manner, the timing, the intensity, and the optics of how such cases are handled, especially when it concerns political opponents.

In my previous write-up, I made it abundantly clear that no one is above the law. Not Chairman Wontumi. Not anyone. But in a democratic state governed by the rule of law, the process matters as much as the outcome. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done.

Unfortunately, what we are witnessing is the opposite.

Chairman Wontumi, who voluntarily submitted himself to the authorities, has been treated in a manner that raises troubling questions about fairness, motive, and precedent. The dramatic operations, the excessive bail terms, the coordinated public humiliation, and the seemingly deliberate media narrative all point to something beyond mere legal procedure. It appears to many that this is not just prosecution. It is persecution.

And here lies the danger.
If we allow political vendettas to be dressed up as legal processes, we risk turning justice into a tool of suppression. If bail conditions are set so high that they become a backdoor method to keep individuals in custody, then we are no longer operating within a fair system. We are simply punishing people before they are found guilty.

Let us be honest with ourselves. The current pattern of handling opposition figures sets a dangerous precedent. Today it is Wontumi. Tomorrow it could be someone else. Power changes hands in every democracy. What you do with power today will be done to you tomorrow if we normalize abuse under the cloak of righteousness.

This is not about defending wrongdoing. It is about demanding integrity in how we pursue justice. It is about ensuring that our national institutions are not weaponized against those who disagree with the government. It is about protecting the very soul of our democracy.

We must rise above party lines and political preferences to ask the hard questions.

Are we strengthening our democracy or weakening it?

Are we building trust in our justice system or eroding it?

Are we choosing fairness or fueling division?

Ghana is bigger than Chairman Wontumi.
It is bigger than the NPP.
It is bigger than the NDC.
It is bigger than all of us.
Let us not allow the thirst for revenge to push us into abandoning the very values we need to preserve peace and order. Let us not create a system that can be used tomorrow by others to return the favour. This cycle of vengeance will consume us all if left unchecked.

Yes, seek justice. But do so lawfully, transparently, and without political malice. Because when justice becomes selective, when due process is compromised, and when power is abused under the pretense of law, we all lose.

Let us be guided.
Let us uphold the rule of law, not just in words but in action.

Long live Ghana. May wisdom prevail.
#Puobabangna

Victor Raul Puobabangna Plance
Victor Raul Puobabangna Plance, © 2025

I am Victor Raul Puobabangna Plance, a development professional and storyteller from Eggu in Ghana’s Upper West Region. With experience in WASH, public health, emergency response, and community development, I’ve worked with organizations like Catholic Relief Services and World Vision Int. More I am Victor Raul Puobabangna Plance, a development professional, storyteller, and thinker from Eggu in the Upper West Region of Ghana. I carry with me the weight of real stories, the wisdom of a quiet upbringing, and a mission to use what I know to help others live with dignity, direction, and hope.

I have worked across public health, WASH, emergency response, and community development, partnering with organizations like Catholic Relief Services and World Vision International. I understand systems, but I do not get lost in them. I never forget the people behind the reports, the families behind the statistics, or the communities waiting to be seen and heard.

But I am not only a development worker. I am a writer. I write from the heart of where I come from. I write because some things are too true to be forgotten. I write about love and loss, silence and hope, absence and longing. From The Barber and the Boy Who Wouldn’t Smile to Family by Blood but Total Strangers in Reality, my stories reflect the pain we hide and the light we carry. I speak for the silent. I stand with the unseen.

My voice is raw, but it is real. I do not dress my words. I let them breathe. I do not rush for applause. I wait for impact. I believe in asking hard questions, even when the answers are slow or uncertain. I believe in doing good work even when no one is watching.

Whether I am mentoring a youth, writing for someone I may never meet, or simply walking the road less noticed, I carry a simple goal: to make meaning. To leave people better than I found them. To speak the truth in a world that often prefers silence.

This is not just what I do. This is who I am.
Column: Victor Raul Puobabangna Plance

Disclaimer: "The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect ModernGhana official position. ModernGhana will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements in the contributions or columns here." Follow our WhatsApp channel for meaningful stories picked for your day.

Comments

Odeneho Ababio The 5 | 6/2/2025 6:37:42 PM

Your narrative above sounds meaningful but unfortunately there is bias when you try to justify political sentiments. You will recall that Essien" the previous managing director of the defunct Capital Bank was required to honour a bail agreement of ¢200,000.00 with two sureties to be justified. What do you make of that substantial amount as compared to Chairman Wontumis' own of ¢50,000.00 presently.

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