The claim that our petition to the Commonwealth of Nations to investigate examples of grave human rights breaches by the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia administration is an attack on the sovereignty of our country is really ludicrous and laughable,” Sammy Gyamfi stated during his speech.
The message of physical violence against political opponents that Nana Addo preached and championed before the 2016 general elections has turned into structural, institutional, and systematic forms of violence in the form of human rights violations, harassment, and political persecutions against members and supporters of the NDC,” said Mr. Asiedu Nketiah, NDC General Secretary, at a press conference.
In response to the development, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Godfred Yeboa Dame claimed the opposition party’s effort was an attempt to undermine Ghana’s sovereignty.
He claimed that the party had a habit of fleeing to international organizations to avoid legal prosecution.
The Attorney General’s claim that the opposition National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) petition to the Commonwealth Secretariat to investigate alleged human rights abuses under the Akufo-Addo government threatens Ghana’s sovereignty has been challenged by Sammy Gyamfi, the NDC’s Communications Officer.
Making such a claim, he continued, is “stupid” and “laughable.”
The National Democratic Congress has asked the Commonwealth Secretariat to examine and censure the incumbent administration for what it terms bad governance and human rights violations.
“The claim that our petition to the Commonwealth of Nations to investigate examples of grave human rights breaches by the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia administration is an attack on the sovereignty of our country is really ludicrous and laughable,” Sammy Gyamfi stated during his speech.
While the Commonwealth of Nations as a group cannot force judgments on Ghana, he said that it might caution or advise the government if it confirms claims of human rights abuses that are contrary to the body’s values.
Ghana is a sovereign and independent country, but we willingly joined the Commonwealth of Nations and have pledged to uphold the Commonwealth’s ideals, one of which is the protection of personal liberties.
The Commonwealth of Nations cannot make any decisions that will be binding on our courts, but they do have a voice, and we believe that if this government and its leaders still have conscience, they will listen to them,” he said.
Ghana, he added, faces being expelled from the Commonwealth of Nations if the body confirms the country’s human rights violations and recognizes the government’s refusal to resolve the problems.
“If they [the government] refuse to listen, the Commonwealth of Nations has the option of suspending Ghana, as they did with Zimbabwe a few years ago, and I hope we don’t come to that point,” he said.