Pressure group Democracy Hub has issued a scathing rebuke of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, accusing the government of orchestrating a coordinated crackdown on freedom of expression under the pretext of safeguarding national security.
In a press statement signed by its conveners and issued in Accra on Thursday, the civil society group argued that the current administration has abandoned its campaign promises and is actively replicating the very state abuses it once condemned while in opposition.
The group highlighted a rising pattern of state-sponsored intimidation aimed at silencing vocal critics across various social media channels. It specifically pointed to the detention of Facebook commentators and the harassment of TikTok content creators, citing the recent arrests of figures such as Salomey Baffoe and Ofa Yaw, popularly known as “Nation’s Uncle,” as key examples of growing state overreach.
Democracy Hub reminded the government that Article 21(1)(a) of the 1992 Constitution guarantees free speech, stressing that harsh political criticism or provocative remarks from ordinary citizens do not constitute legitimate national security threats.
“The state has weaponized a dishonest false equivalence, deliberately treating ordinary citizens’ angry hyperbole and vulgar political dissent as if they were credible national security threats,” the statement read. “The constitutional guarantee of free expression is rendered meaningless if the state replaces freedom of speech with fear after speech.”
The group further warned that the government’s recent posture signals an “alarming nostalgia for the repealed Criminal Libel Law” and suggested an intent to resurrect such restrictions by proxy.
Addressing the judicial arm of government, Democracy Hub urged the courts to safeguard their independence and refuse to function as an extension of the Executive.
“The courts must never act as puppets of the Executive, function as its extension, or rubber-stamp state overreach,” the conveners stated, calling on judges to uphold their constitutional duty as impartial defenders of citizens’ rights.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
