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A Ghanaian journalist based in the United Kingdom (UK) questioned whether President Akufo-Addo was a citizen or a bystander in relation to the murder of two people in Ejura by the military.
Mr. Fred Sarpong speaking about President Akufo-Addo’s charge on Ghanaians to “be citizens, not spectators”, in a speech delivered during his first inaugural address on January 7, 2017.
“When does the president rise to follow through on his advice he gave us, saying that we should be citizens and not spectators because you talked about the deafening silence, the people who are supposed to be saying things on this issue have been very silent. My question is therefore to know if he is himself a citizen or a spectator of the state of affairs, ”he asked.
Fred Sarpong raised the question during a discussion about Awesome Morning Show from Joy FM, Thursday. The topic of discussion was the directive issued by President Akufo-Addo to the Minister of the Interior to investigate the circumstances leading to the deaths of four people and four others injured, when soldiers and police clashed with restless young people from Ejura on Tuesday June. 29.
He said President Akufo-Addo must keep his promises because “some of the words he used before taking office really resonated with some of us, and I have a lot of respect for our president and any president of Ghana for that matter.
“And we really know he’s helped a lot of people in the past as a human rights lawyer to be held to account, so in his own eyes, through his own lenses, he thinks what happens to the citizens of the nation is good or bad, ”he asked.
Sarpong also noted that over the years, the country’s security officials have engaged in similar incidents without any punishment, hence the apparent increase in such behavior.
“Someone steals a goat, he gets 10 years in prison, someone steals public money, and justice is served with mercy.”
He said such actions could only damage the country’s image, citing an incident in the UK where a police officer was sentenced to jail for wrongdoing.
“It sets a precedent that everyone is under the law, you are not above the law and this is something we did not do in Ghana,” he noted.
In the UK case he cited, Mr Sarpong said: “The sentencing judge said, you are going to have a bit of a hard time in jail because you are a policeman, but you did the wrong thing, it was a criminal offense so we have to put you in there.
But, he added, hearing what is happening in Ghana, “it’s not fair, we are not setting good precedents and people are waking up now, they can see.”
The reporter said Akufo-Addo should look back, “Thinking back to his time when he got people to book for hurting or sitting down on the human rights of others, is he? wants for Ghana? It’s for the president.
He also observed that Ghanaian news houses have been too sensational in their reporting on the issues and called on media professionals to be moderate and follow the stories they publish.
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