Fox FM raid ‘barbaric, criminal’ – Rev. Asante

The recent assault on NPP youth activist Baah Acheamfuor by some NPP thugs in Kumasi has been condemned by the Chairman of the National Peace Council, Rev. Professor Emmanuel Asante.

Mr Acheamfuor was on Monday April 25, 2016, manhandled by six macho men said to belong to the party’s Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, in the studios of Fox FM during a live programme for apparently making offensive comments against his own party.

The Ashanti Regional Police has picked up the party’s regional communication director, Kwasi Kyei, and charged him with assault and conspiracy to assault, following the incident.

Airing his views on the matter on Accra100.5FM’s Ghana Yensom on Wednesday April 27, 2016, the clergyman said: “It’s a worry; it’s barbaric, because democracy allows for free expression of one’s opinions. Of course, in exercising my right to free speech, I must do so responsibly.

“But even if there is disagreement in expression of one’s opinion or that one did not exhibit much responsibility in doing that no one can take the law into his hands and in the manner of jungle politics, assault that person.”

In his view, under the same democratic space, if anyone’s comments or actions infringe on another’s rights, people could resort to criminal or civil action in the law courts for redress, wondering: “Why do we not allow the laws to work if we believe in the rule of law? That thuggery will be of no benefit to Ghana.”

He further urged all Ghanaians, as well as goons often hired to visit terror on persons whose opinions miff others, to desist from such “barbarism”. “It doesn’t help the country, it destroys a country. The Ghana that we claim to love is what we are destroying. So, let us be careful with such actions,” Rev. Prof Asante pleaded.

“I am convinced that such behaviour is criminal and the police should take action against such persons.”