Dr. Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, a political analyst and senior lecturer at the University of Ghana has warned that recent arrests linked to public comments point to a worrying decline in free expression.
According to him, Ghana risks sliding into a more restrictive political climate if current trends continue, arguing that the pattern reflects a growing intolerance for criticism.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on Monday, 18th May, he placed his comments in historical context, comparing current concerns with past allegations of political intolerance.
“We want to put that in context,” he said. “That administration was told to be intolerant… that a culture of silence was creeping into this country.”
He argued that expectations of improvement in democratic freedoms have not been met.
“But we have been told in this research that if that administration was considered repressive, then what is happening now suggests we are in for a more regressive and repressive regime,” he said.
Dr. Zaato claimed that more than a dozen people have been arrested over comments made on television, radio, or online, adding that many have not been convicted by any court.
“None of them have been convicted by a court,” he said. “They were arrested, sometimes denied bail at the insistence of the state, and later the cases die.”
He questioned whether such actions reflect strength or political insecurity.
“When these things keep happening, it shows power is being demonstrated, not justice,” he said. “If your policies are working, you should not be afraid of criticism.”
He also urged restraint in the use of state power, warning that excessive enforcement could chill public debate.
“You cannot criminalise loose talk,” he said. “Democracy thrives when people are allowed to speak freely, even when they are wrong.”
Source: metrotvonline.com
