Media personality Afia Pokua has reacted to the arrest of New Patriotic Party (NPP) communicator Baba Amando in a post sighted by MyNewsGh.
She expressed worry about consistency in how free speech and due process are handled in Ghana’s political space.
Recall that Abubakar Yakubu, also known as Baba Amando, the NPP Sunyani East Constituency Communications Officer was picked up by police on Sunday, April 12, after reporting to the Bono Regional Police Headquarters.
Yakubu had honoured what he believed was an invitation, arriving with his lawyer, Alfred Tuah Yeboah.
However, upon arrival, police officers reportedly told them there was no record of such an invitation. Subsequent checks with the Police CID Headquarters in Accra indicated that he was instead wanted in the capital, leading to his arrest and transfer.
Reacting to the development, NPP National Organiser Henry Nana Boakye described the arrest as troubling and questioned its implications for democratic governance under President John Dramani Mahama.
In her response, Afia Pokua pointed to what she described as a recurring pattern in Ghanaian politics, where positions on free speech appear to shift depending on who is affected.
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“I support due process and free speech, but remember what was said by the then opposition when Bongo Ideas and others were arrested?” she said.
She noted that similar actions are now being taken against individuals accused of making false statements, raising concerns about double standards.
“Today, others are being arrested for similar false statements. The politics of ‘wrong yesterday but justified today’ is crazy,” she stated.
Afia Pokua argued that authorities could have handled the situation differently, suggesting less severe measures.
“This one, an invitation, warning, bond, and release would have been better,” she said, adding that political actors on all sides engage in similar conduct online.
She also called for broader public education on misinformation, stressing the need to distinguish between false news and legitimate expression.
“We must start teaching our citizens about what is false news and what is not,” she added.
mynewsgh
