NPP Worried Over “Growing Politically Motivated Harassment” Of Members By Mahama Govt

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed concern about a trend of what it calls a “growing pattern of politically motivated intimidation and harassment” of its members by the ruling government.

It alleges that the government has, in the past eight months of its administration, marshalled state security against the NPP rather than addressing pressing national issues.

In its view, the government has “completely lost focus”.

“The government has used the past eight months to weaponise the state security, not in the fight against galamsey, and certainly not to protect the citizenry and deescalate the growing insecurity situation in many parts of the country, particularly in Bawku, Nkwanta, and Gbeniyiri in the Savanna Region, where recent communal clashes have claimed over 32 lives and displaced more than 50,000 Ghanaians, some of whom have become refugees in neighbouring countries.”

In a statement issued by the general secretary of the Party, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP accused the government of criminalising free speech.

“The NDC government is rather focused on weaponising state security to intimidate and punish dissenting voices, particularly members of the opposition, in an excessive clampdown on free speech.

“Today, the police and national security are more interested in arresting and persecuting NPP social media activists such as ‘Facebookers’ and ‘TikTokers’ who make ‘unpalatable or controversial statements’ than fighting insecurity in the country, whereas members of the NDC who make similar or worse statements are spared. The selectivity in the so-called application of the law is too manifest to go unnoticed.”

This comes in the wake of the arrest and remand of the NPP’s Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, known as Abronye.

According to the party, he was arrested for insulting the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Christian Tetteh Yohunu.

Affirming the NPP’s reservations about incendiary language, insulting and disrespectful language, and vulgarity, it emphasised that any Ghanaian (including the IGP) who feels defamed or falsely accused should resort to court.

“This growing climate of state-sponsored intimidation and harassment, as well as the criminalisation of speech, represents a debilitating assault on Ghana’s democracy and our commitment to the rule of law. It is therefore not surprising that our country is losing its enviable stature as one of the shining examples of democracy in Africa.

“We are also consistently dropping in the World Press Freedom Index, and that should be concerning. The NPP will not remain passive while this government destroys what we have collectively worked hard to build for our dear country. We call on all peace-loving Ghanaians and defenders of democracy to join us in fighting this growing tyranny as we become ready to roll out a series of actions to salvage our country.”

Story by Hajara Fuseini

Click to read more: https://opemsuo.com/author/hajara-fuseini/