Dont Criminalize Free Speech Mr President

Feature Article of Saturday, 17 March 2012

Columnist: Young Patriots

We the Young Patriots of the New Patriotic Party demand the unconditional release of Mr Owusu Bempah, the Operations Director of FONK AR with immediate effect. President Mills since taking over the reins of power has sought to criminalize free speech by arresting and detaining Ghanaians of varying opinions to his governments policies and programmes. A government that superintends over gargantuan corruption, ineptitude, incompetence and mediocrity would not have lasted long in another political era. However, as Ghanaians, we have opted for democracy, and free speech is the best way to exercise that right. We the Young Patriots find it hypocritical for a government which came to power on the back of free speech and propaganda to turn around and incarcerate its citizens for exercising their democratic right. It is on record that Mr Aseidu Nketia called all 17 aspirants of the candidature of the NPP as thieves and President Kufour as the chief thieve and yet walked the streets of Ghana as a free man and today has been rewarded as a major contractor for the Bui Hydro dam project though he is a board member of the same organization. Mr Fiifi Kwartey, the deputy minister of finance told Ghanaians, that President Kufour and his government had hoarded all of Ghanas gold reserves in a foreign country; his insults and propaganda have been rewarded with oversight responsibility of our gold reserves. Madam Amaa Beyinwaa Doe referred to Nana Akufo Addo as a drug dealer and when she was asked to substantiate it, she said it was campaign talk during here vetting to become the Central Regional Minister. The arrest and detention of Mr Owusu Bempeh for expressing his opinion on the disbursement of the Woyome money is simply against his constitutional right to free expression. The act is abominable and should be condemned in no uncertain terms and we the Young Patriots will consider further action should the President continue to have him detained.

Richard Nyamah 0203-418-85 Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover 0246-850-138 Hopson Adorye 0201-433-925 John Kumah 0244-171-471

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Dont Criminalize Free Speech Mr President