The largest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has lamented the retrogression of Ghana’s democracy under the current Akufo-Addo-led administration.
According to a member of the NDC’s Communication Team, Adwoa Agyapomaa Ansong, the arrests of the Democracy Hub protesters have highlighted how low the country’s democracy has sunk in recent times.
Speaking on GHOne TV’s flagship GHToday Breakfast Review segment, she said, “I think that today, I’m particularly sad about our democracy.” She went on to say, “I feel like, although as a country, Ghana has previously made some progress in terms of our democracy, our freedoms, and our rights, today, I feel like we have retrogressed.”
“In Ghana today, it’s as though freedom does not exist. It only exists as a word and not truly in its practice.”
She continued, “We have seen how this government has used state institutions to intimidate ordinary citizens, turning them into criminals—ordinary citizens protesting, exercising their rights. We are spinning and creating criminalities out of their innocent activities to bring to the seat of power what their concerns are.”
She also expressed her disappointment “in the court’s decision not to grant bail to these people, especially when the offense they are being charged with is a misdemeanor.”
She added, “From my perspective, it looks as though they just want to show them where their power lies. It’s not really about enforcing or upholding the laws of this country. So, it’s rather unfortunate that these people are still in custody.”
“I pray that justice is served, and I call on civil societies and all these moral bodies to speak up.”
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Agnes Gyamfuaa Ofosu
