A Letter To President Mahama On The Censorship Of Free Speech In Ghana And The Harassment Of Npp Members

Dear President Mahama,

I am pleased to extend warm greetings from the Northern Region, specifically Tamale, and to express my hope that you are in good health.

Mr. President, I write to bring to your attention a pressing matter that has the potential to undermine the progress made in upholding our democratic principles and values.

Your tenure as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has spanned one year and five months. Without doubt, your administration has been marred by unjustified arrests and intimidation of political opponents.

For the sake of clarity, the rights of every citizen are enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which must be protected at all times.

However, it has become apparent that there has been a selective application of our laws, with opposition NPP members being disproportionately targeted by your administration.

To elaborate, since you assumed office as President of the Republic of Ghana, we have witnessed instances where NPP members have been mistreated and mishandled by state security forces.

Institutions that should protect citizens' rights have instead subjected them to various forms of abuse, intimidation, and harassment.

Indeed, we have made significant progress as a nation in Africa, with Ghana being hailed as a beacon of democracy and governance.

Nonetheless, what's happening under your watch will dent the image of our motherland and these unwarranted arrests and suppression of free speech are mind-blowing, to say the least.

Under normal circumstances, why should NPP members who are very cooperative be subjected to this inhumane treatment without regard to the laws of the Country?

Fast forward, are we in a jungle where state security is being used to harass and silence critical voices who raised issues on how the Country is being governed?

It surpasses my imagination to take a cursory look at the magnitude of intolerance exhibited by your Appointees, particularly at EOCO, CID, and the BNI.

Mr. President, we were all witnesses to the uninhibited expression of views by NDC members on various matters during the tenure of the NPP without facing harassment or intimidation.

Furthermore, we observed the liberty with which you articulated your sentiments, sometimes employing strongly derogatory remarks about Former President Nana Addo and the NPP.

A cursory examination of these instances reveals that NDC members were allowed to express their opinions on the governance of the nation without being targeted.

However, it is embarrassing and primitive that your promise of a reset has resulted in citizens being gagged and silenced for raising legitimate concerns about governance.

As a citizen and a member of the NPP, I am highly appalled and scandalized by the level of intolerance and censorship of free speech in our democratic Country.

The question that arises is whether we, are realistically regressing to the colonial era or being ruled by an autocratic leader who fears constructive criticism from opponents?

On a more serious note, Mr. President, numerous lapses require your attention, rather than resorting to intimidation and harassment of NPP members.

To be frank, Ghanaians are really in distress over the high cost of living, high electricity tariffs, water, haircut on cocoa farmers, and other peasant farmers are all being affected.

The above should have your target and not the abuse of power and the use of the state security agencies to intimidate and prevent people from expressing their deep sentiments about governance, particularly NPP members and activists.

In reality, as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, we expect free speech in the Country as you enjoyed under the NPP administration.

In summary, I humbly urge you to put your foot on the ground to protect the rights of all citizens who gave you the mandate to rule the country.

Ghana is our motherland and for that matter, it's imperative for us to collectively protect its image from these needless and unjustified arrests of your political opponents.

Shalom!

Abdulai Abdul-Razak
Tamale South Constituency Secretary aspirant, NPP
[email protected]
0542184296