Reversing The Gains Of Democracy

We have reached where we are today because of the heroic efforts by cherishers of democracy, some of whom did so by shedding their blood.

At the time the culture of silence permeated all facets of the Ghanaian society, it took such heroes of democracy to stand up to be counted as those who wanted a non-dictatorial political ambience for the country.

When eventually the seismic change we yearned for came, replacing the culture of silence, the wind of democracy blew without inhibition.

Nobody thought the milestone would not remain a permanent feature of our political life. Time has proven that with persons spotting questionable integrity taking over the mantle of leadership, things would change.

Elections, it is said, have consequences –positive or negative. Today, a reversal of that critical feature of democracy, free speech, has never been so threatened as in recent times. And to think this followed the outcome of an election proves the saying that, indeed, there are consequences to how we choose our leaders.

Those who have cause to express themselves regarding governance must be wary of being arrested and jailed because the times have changed.

So many people have been arrested roughly and some denied access to lawyers simply because their expressions were unpalatable to the government.

All of a sudden the clock of democratic progress has been set back. Many have even lost count of the number of persons arrested so far through the irresponsible use of the powers of the state.

Of course this is not right and doubtlessly a threat to free speech. Ghanaians would not have voted for the NDC and President John Mahama if they had understood the implication of the latter's reset agenda.

As we compose this commentary, another person has been picked up. The whereabouts of Richard Nana Basoah of Ahwenepa FM are unknown, part of the ongoing spate of arrests.

The Government Spokesperson, Felix Ofosu Kwakye, has served notice that anybody who threatens the President would be arrested. It is a crime to threaten anybody irrespective of the status of such persons in society. Those who breach the law by threatening others must be taken through due process, not picked up by hooded security officers and hidden in unknown locations. Assaulting women suspected to have offended the President and even deceiving them to plead guilty when they know not the implication therein is not the law.

Today, one of the two dominant political parties in the country is demonstrating against selective justice and, of course, the threat to free speech.

The threat to free speech and selective justice are rife today. Paradoxically, President Mahama in his open letter to President Akufo-Addo in 2022 expressed disgust at the antiquated practice of arresting persons because of their unpleasing expressions.

In any case, the number of persons arrested over free speech within the less than two years of the John Mahama administration has surpassed the number recorded in the eight years of the Akufo-Addo presidency.

That the President has told Ghanaians that those who express hate speech would be traced and arrested through their IP addresses is enough to tell all that free speech is under threat.