The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) says the recent arrest and detention of some journalists in the country is an attempt by the government to instill fear in Ghanaians opposed to the E-levy.
According to the NDC, the government is orchestrating the arrests to douse the impact of the ‘Yentua Demonstration’ against the E-levy.“The NDC assures the despotic regime of Akufo-Addo, that we shall not relent in our effort both within and outside Parliament to stop the introduction of e-levy,” the party said in a statement issued on February 11, 2022.In the last few weeks, three journalists have been arrested and subsequently prosecuted by the police for various alleged offenses while one other was allegedly assaulted by police officers in the Western Region.
This, the NDC said is contradictory to the ‘President’s claim’ as a human rights activist.“There has been sharp deterioration in the expression of the right to free speech under the Presidency of a personality whose claim to fame as a human rights activist, was his work on the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law when he was an Attorney General. Recent events, however, exposes the duplicity and hypocrisy of Mr. Akufo-Addo. In short President Akufo-Addo speaks from both sides of his mouth,” the party said.
The statement added that “we are deeply worried by the loud silence of the moral society, large section of Civil Society Organisation and rather surprisingly the Ghana Journalists Association, whose members are under siege.”
The NDC further called on Civil Society Organisations and the Ghana Journalist Association to speak against the recent police arrests and detention of journalists.Onua TV’s Morning Show host, Blessed Godsbrain Smart was detained by National Security Operatives after he had been granted bail by the court following his arrest over extortion.He was detained along with another staff, Eric Dadzie Copperfield, popularly called DJ GH Boy who is also facing charges of abetment to extort.
