This government has made it difficult for us to speak - Edwin Elikem Amenyeawu

Ghanaian business executive and philanthropist, Edwin Elikem Amenyeawu has indicated that airing one’s views is now a difficulty in Ghana.

He made these assertions on the 'PUNDIT show' on GH One television hosted by Adwoa Loud.

According to Edwin Elikem Amenyeawu, the present day Akufo-Addo led government has made it difficult to criticize its administration.

In his view, even though celebrities like Stonebwoy, Tulenkey and the like may not sit well with the current power crises the country is facing which he describes as ‘dum-dum’, they may well not speak about the issue for fear of oppression from this government.

“Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right conferred on Ghanaians by Article 10 of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992. This right has always been at the core of previous governments as the media instrumentally uses it as a tool for checking government, hence the title, ‘the Fourth Arm of Government’.

“It is, however, heartbreaking to learn that rather than upholding freedom of expression (press freedom), the Akufo-Addo government upon assumption of office has capped this constitutionally granted freedom by unleashing violence on pressmen and also staying aloof to acts of violence perpetrated on the press,” he said.

Mr Amenyeawu added that, “the murder of Ahmed Suale and the government’s posture to address the situation and find culprits; the intimidation of Manasseh Azure, Black Rasta, Abdul Hadi Moomen, the shutting down of media houses affiliated to the opposition and brutalities meted to pressmen by state security forces in the just ended elections have not been given redress.

Recently during the world Press Freedom Day, former President John Mahama tweeted: “I want to encourage President Nana Akufo-Addo and his close associates to seize the occasion to create an atmosphere that is more tolerant of criticism and devoid of intimidation in order for the media, CSOs and individuals to freely express themselves and contribute to national discourse.”

According to him, the current debate on the culture of silence was reignited by a speech from Sir Sam Jonah in which he bemoaned a reluctance of all of us to articulate publicly the things we mutter about at home and among friends.

The business mogul had a long list of the things that were wrong with Ghana and especially with how things were being run.

“No sector of our society came out well; the legislature and the judiciary were poodles of the executive. He even coined a new word to give expression to the desperate state of Ghana.

“We have an Executocracy’ and not a democracy, the Knight of the British Realm said. Now if that doesn’t alarm you, I don’t know what will. We ask that the president becomes tolerant and devoid of counterattacks and oppression, Mr. Amenyeawu concluded.