Last Thursday, June 27, 2018, in Ghana’s history has left a terrible memory which is forever etched on the minds of Journalists, other media workers and the rest of us in the country.
It was a day that thugs purporting to be working for National Security raided the offices of popular news website, “Modern Ghana News,” collected working tools, covered the faces of the news Editors;bundled them into a waiting car and drove off to a destination nobody could tell.
“Two officers with guns and 3 others came into our office and asked us to follow them out.” An Editor of the portal, Emmanuel Ajafor Abugri told Citi fm, adding “…officers said they didn’t want us to see where we were being taken, which is why they covered our heads with polythene bags.”
Strangely, Cyber-crime over which the National Security thugs picked up the media men never came up during the 3-dayquestioning and torture including being tasered, slapped, made to lay head downwards with legs up against a wall.
According to Ajafor Abugri, amidst the torture, they were forced to admit being behind a publication which is said to be critical of National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dappah and MP for Efutu, AfenyoMarkin.
Come to think of it, has Ghana become a banana republic? Laws are no longer working? The supposed victims of the publications – Albert Kan Dappah and Afenyo Markin could not submit a complaint to National Media Commission [NMC] for redress? They also could not consider the Court option available to them?
I am personally disappointed in the National Security Minister, Albert Kan Dappah over this matter and many other sad ones that have occurred under his watch. Worse, is his loud silence in all of these barbaric, retrogressive and cowardly attacks and occurrences in Ghana today.
The other unacceptable developments under his watch are Journalist assassination, Kidnappings, Ayawaso West Wougon election violence, etc for which he must resign for failure.
Early 2017, when President Akufo Addo started his appointments, some of us never had hope in his team until the name of the likes of Albert Kan Dappah pops up.His experience, maturity, disposition and because of the sensitive nature of the office he had to occupy.Sadly, all that noble characteristics appear to have been taken over by the traits of the monstrous Akufo Addo government as we are currently having to face.
Our President who prides himself as a human right lawyer had only succeeded in proving to be the most despotic tyrant.The likes of Mobotu SeseSeko, Iddi Amin, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, Gnassingbe Eyadema couldn’t do what we are enduring today because theirs were not celebrated democracies.
The owner and publisher of the Chronicle Newspaper, Nana Kofi Coomson said “I cannot sleep with my eyes closed under Akufo Addo as President.” It is for such known and glaring fears that we expected the National Security Minister to be able to rise to the occasion but has failed as among other things insecurityis rife in the country.
There must be a better figure who can rise above the parochial partisan interest and work in our collective interest by maintaining a sane and acceptable national security.
Below are the five [5] reasons which border on National Security over which Albert Kan Dappah has failed woefully and must go;
- Increasing cases of kidnappings – 3 Takoradi girls, 2 Lebanese nationals including the Consular General for Estonia, 2 Canadians, an Indian among others.
- Murder of Journalist, threat of harm on others necessitating an exile for some – Ahmed Hussein Suale, Manasseh Azure Awuni, Anas Aremeyaw Anas and the Tiger Eye team, Edward Adeti.
- Deployment under his watch of political party thugs in National Security attire for the Ayawaso West Wougon bye election violence.
- Raiding media houses – Modern Ghana news, Radio XYZ [Owusu Bempah and National Security goons storming XYZ offices looking for MogabeMaase.]
- His inability to become a voice of reason in the more than clueless and ‘Dracula’ Akufo Addo government which has failed to honour the 2016 manifesto promise of providing security to Ghanaians in their homes and on the streets [page 147 of the 2016 manifesto].
Writer: Koku MawuliNanegbe
NB; I wish to state that I am solely responsible for this opinion piece.
