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The verdict out there among many discerning Ghanaians is that the statement issued by the Bureau of National Investigations on the two Montie FM panelists, Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gun, who threatened to "finish" judges of the Supreme Court, was very unfortunate.
It was very difficult to read from a national security entity like the BNI that the duo, who went berserk on the radio station, raving and ranting that they were going to deal with members of the bench, are harmless.
What sort of investigations did the BNI undertake to draw such conclusion? Perhaps, this is what happens in a country where state agencies are tied to the apron strings of the governing party.
Indeed, the fact cannot be gainsaid that Alistair Nelson and Godwin Ako Gunn have been working for the re-election bid of President John Mahama and his NDC, hence the subtle attempt by government, through the BNI, to save the duo.
The comments by the two have been condemned by majority of Ghanaians, including the Ghana Bar Association which called for their arrest and prosecution.
While many expect the two to be dealt with in a manner that will serve as a serious deterrent to others of their ilk, the BNI appears to think the matter should not be taken as a big deal.
Interestingly, it was this same BNI that considered it dangerous for a man who take pictures of NDC vehicles sitting on the compound of its official. But now, this same body wants the nation to believe that threats on the lives of Supreme Court and High Court judges do not pose any danger to the nation.
The BNI seems to ignore the fact that the threats made by the duo are criminal in nature, and so there is no need for proof of their ability in carrying out the threats before they are dealt with.
As a matter of fact, we find it very repugnant for the BNI to come out with such claim. What did they use in arriving at the conclusion that the two could not carry out their threats and that they made them in "show of bravado?" What were they seeking to achieve by making that claim?
This is not only shameful but a real insult to the intelligence of the people of Ghana. How can a state institution like the BNI pick and choose which issues matter and those that do not for political expediency?
Again, the fact that a national security institution like the BNI failed to communicate its findings to a superior body, and rather chose to make it public for obvious political reasons adds more weight to the claims by many people that it has more or less become an appendage for the governing party.
In fact, the manner in which some state institutions appear to be dancing to the tune of the governing party, instead of discharging their mandate with the required sense of professionalism, is becoming very worrying. This is making it increasingly difficult for the ordinary citizens to have confidence in them.
Nonetheless, we urge the courts to punish the two if they are found to have gone against the laws of the land.
