President Akufo-Addo’s intimidating style of governance is unfortunate!

When President Akufo-Addo ascended the Presidency in 2017, his inaugural speech was forward-looking and promising. The expectations of Ghanaians for Akufo-Addo’s regime in terms of his mouth-watering promises on infrastructural

development and corruption-related fights were understandably high. However, that was laconically truncated as we are witnessing now.

President Akufo-Addo freely demonstrated under several governments to express his concerns and frustrations then but now Ghanaians are ironically scared to do so under his regime. In the advent of President Akufo-Addo’s regime, there is this continued unspoken fear among Ghanaians generated under his watch, which has been gradually replaced with the loud silence of those who were quite vocal under former President Mahama’s regime.

These widespread intimidations were not only targeting political opponents in the NDC but also silencing other important stakeholders like the Peace Council and Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference (GCBC) as well as Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), etc.

For instance, the court cases involving the former CEO of COCOBOD, Dr. Opuni, Minority Leader, Dr. Casiel Ato Forson, former Minister for Works and Housing,

Collins Dawda, etc., and the recent #OccupyJulorbiHouse demo skirmishes caused by the Ghana Police are a few examples worthy of mention.

The frightening and worrisome Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election that took place on 31 January 2019 after the death of the incumbent MP Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko on 21 November 2018 was the beginning of the intimidation style of governance by President Akufo-Addo.

Similarly, we witnessed electoral violence leading to the loss of innocent lives in the 2020 general presidential and parliamentary elections.

Apart from the above-mentioned examples of calculated intimidation under this regime, there has been general fear among Ghanaians to freely express their concerns and frustrations on poorly implemented policies and numerous taxes like Free SHS and e-levy, respectively.

There have also been numerous corruption scandals, economic mismanagement, and

insensitivity of the government, and yet Ghanaians are afraid to speak out for fear of either being arrested or intimidated.

Media houses are not also left out in this intimidation web under this Akufo-Addo-Bawumia- led government, as journalists are scared to freely operate as the Fourth Arm of Government.

Under former President Mahama’s era, Ghanaians heavily criticized him and his government and they were not harassed or intimidated unlike what we are witnessing now under President Akufo-Addo’s regime.

As a touted human rights lawyer, it is highly ironic to witness human rights violations and intimidations to generate enormous fear among Ghanaians under the regime of Akufo-Addo.

The recent withdrawal from the presidential race and resignation of Alan Cash from the NPP Party has strongly pointed accusing fingers at the undemocratic leadership of President Akufo-Addo, whose regime is largely run by ‘Power Brokers’ and government apparatchiks in favor of the preferred establishment Presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

These unfortunate new developments under the watch of Nana Akufo-Addo, a touted

human rights lawyer, and now President is a backward step in Ghana’s 30-year democracy.

This is indeed unfortunate!

What Ghana badly needs in December 2024 is a dedicated, caring, sensitive, and visionary leader to assuage the sufferings of many Ghanaians but not this mediocre leadership exhibited by the governing NPP regime.

The NPP, as a Party, has failed Ghanaians woefully with their poor show of governance led by Nana Akufo-Addo. Looking at the crop of Presidential candidates put up by the NPP to replace him, the Party does not deserve another chance after the last term of President Akufo-Addo come 2024.