Abanga Fuseini Yakubu, a newly elected NPP National Youth Organiser, has said that when the party return to power, they will introduce a $500 million bail bond for alleged offenders associated with the NDC.
According to Abanga, the Mahama administration is using state institutions to intimidate young people and critics.
He stressed that individuals are being arrested just over comments made on social media.
He further contrasted the situation with the Akufo-Addo administration, claiming that critics were able to attack and insult the former President without being arrested.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express programme on Tuesday, October 6, Abanga Fuseini Yakubu stated, “This government, whatever you say, they will come after you. Even on social media, there are certain words if you dare use them; tomorrow EOCO will come and pick you up; free speech is now criminalised to the point that one cannot even criticise the government”.
“During President Akufo-Addo’s regime, people could insult him and attack him, but nobody arrested anybody; but today you cough, and they are arresting you,” he stated.
“Whatever they are doing, when we come to power, the bail bond will be $500, and I am promising you as the National Youth Organiser of the NPP, so they should be careful with whatever they are doing,” he said.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has broken his silence over the growing number of arrests involving social media commentators, particularly TikTokers.
According to Mahama, he is not aware of many of the arrests until they are brought to his attention through media reports.
Mahama, however, stressed the need for a broader national conversation on how TikTok and other emerging media platforms should be regulated.
The President disclosed that the government could simply direct the police not to arrest people over statements they make; such a move could raise questions about whether it reflects the position Ghanaians want to adopt.
He therefore called for a wider discussion on the appropriate balance between freedom of expression and the regulation of content on new media platforms.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with the Ghanaian community in New York on Friday, September 25, President Mahama stated, “There is a new term that I call information integrity. The media has become democratised. Anybody with a mobile phone can disseminate information. There is a new medium called TikTok. And it’s not only Ghana where people are wondering what to do to regulate TikTok. Because in all countries all over the world, we are wondering what to do to make sure that we have information integrity even with TikTok”.
“Anybody who has a phone just puts it in front of him and just says whatever he likes. Once they put it out, it has an algorithm that shares it,” he said.
He added, “As a leader, I don’t mind being insulted. I’ve been insulted. I was vilified. I was voted out of office. I have a tough skin; so if you insult me, I don’t mind,” he said.
“Definitely, a lot of these arrests, I don’t even know about them. I also hear about them in the media. Some of them have been tracked and arrested and all that. And sometimes, it worries me, because sometimes the reason for which the person has been arrested, really, they say, is because he insulted me,” he said.
Mahama said the challenge was determining where legitimate freedom of expression ended and conduct that required intervention, saying, “I can tell the IGP, we can go to Cabinet and say, let anybody insult anybody. Let’s leave it free for all. Don’t arrest anybody for anything they say. We can do that. But is that what we want?”
“So, let’s all decide what we want to do. So, that we either find a way of regulating it or we say, when it comes to free expression, anybody can say whatever he wants,” he said.
He further disclosed that the question of regulating new media should not be determined by government alone.
Mahama added, “What we should do is for the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to bring all the stakeholders together and hold a workshop or a forum.
“Let’s all collectively take a decision on what we want to do with the new media. Should the police get involved, or shouldn’t they get involved? How do we regulate it? You come out and tell us,” he said.
@ghnow_ Okatakyie Afrifa highlights areas where he believes President John Mahama’s government has performed well. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
@ghnow_ Okatakyie Afrifa highlights areas where he believes President John Mahama’s government has performed well. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – GHnow
