Majority Chief Whip Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor has urged the Mahama-led government to concentrate on fulfilling its promises to Ghanaians rather than allowing arrests linked to political comments to generate controversy.
Mr Dafeamekpor said the frequent arrest of individuals over statements they make could negatively affect the government’s image, even in situations where the actions are not directly authorised by the government.
Speaking on Saturday, August 8, about the recent arrest of social commentators and opposition members, he expressed concern about some of the arrest and called for greater attention to how such matters are handled.
“I am upset by some of these arrests; it hurts the government.” He said.
The Majority Chief Whip argued that allowing citizens to express their views, including criticism of the government, would not prevent the administration from pursuing its development agenda.
He therefore encouraged the government to focus its attention on delivering on its mandate and avoid actions that could create the impression that it was restricting freedom of expression.
“I think that as government, we must pay attention to some of these things; it doesn’t help,” he said, stressing that such arrests did not advance the government’s interests.
Mr Dafeamekpor further warned that detaining people because of their utterances could have wider consequences for the administration and potentially undermine public confidence in its commitment to democratic principles.
His comments come shortly after the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) organised a nationwide demonstration dubbed “Democracy Under Attack” on Thursday, August 6.
The NPP said the protest was intended to draw attention to what it described as threats to Ghana’s democracy, the rule of law and constitutional governance.
The opposition party has also accused the government of political persecution, selective application of justice and using state institutions to target its opponents and critics.
He maintained that the government’s priority should be to deliver on its mandate and avoid unnecessary controversies arising from the arrest of citizens over their political expressions.
