The Greater Accra Regional executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have called for the immediate release of a party-affiliated social media activist, reportedly arrested by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
According to reports, the NPP member was arrested and detained over a Facebook post allegedly linked to the spread of false rumors about the vice president.
Addressing the media in a video shared by some key NPP figures, the former General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu, together with some party executives in the Greater Accra Region, condemned the arrest.
“They claim he said something on Facebook; a platform these young guys use to play around is what these people have taken as World Cup. Whether they like it or not, after 48 hours, they will have to release him and we will be there,” John Boadu said in an interview with UTV.
According to him, the security agencies are being used as instruments to suppress citizens’ freedom of speech and erode the country’s democratic principles, an act he stated the NPP will vehemently resist.
“This country has suffered before attaining this level and the freedom we enjoy wasn’t gained for free. People fought and died with their properties destroyed over the democracy and so after several years, we thought these things would be a thing of the past but it’s rather becoming worse,” he stated.
Boadu added that the NPP will not remain aloof and allow state institutions to be used as tools to intimidate its members or prevent them from expressing themselves freely.
“Is this what we fought for the country? We are not going to sit back and allow security agencies ordered by the president to be intimidating our people. People have said worse things and they are walking freely,” he added.
