Unguarded statements can land Ghana in trouble

 

As a result of an unguarded statement made on air, Rwanda, which is today a tourist destination in Africa, went to war in 1994, where over 800,000 people were slaughtered. The lives of these people would have been protected if the unguarded statement or comment, which had ethnic undertones, had not been made.

Though one cannot downplay the loss 800,000 lives, the situation would have been worse if social media existed in Africa at the time.

It is upon the basis of this that The Chronicle is advising Ghanaians to be mindful of their public utterances in order not to throw the country into chaos. On Tuesday, this week, operatives from National Security went to the home of Apostle Kwabena Adjei and arrested him over certain comments he was alleged to have made on social media.

In a video clip that went viral on social media, a man suspected to be Apostle Kwabena Adjei was seen spewing out unprintable words against President Akufo-Addo, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Madam Jean Mensa, and some prominent individuals in the country.

In the said video being referenced, not only did Apostle Adjei use unprintable words, but actually threatened that Madam Jean Mensa would die.

He went further to state that the Okyenhene’s Palace at Kyebi in the Eastern Region would catch fire.  Whether Apostle Adjei was just making an empty threats or he, indeed, intended to execute the issue he was raising, The Chronicle does not think it is appropriate thing to do at this time of our election calendar. Most of the conflicts that occurred in Africa came about as a result of elections.

Fortunately for us, Ghana has never toed this line, but has always used the law to deal with election-related issues. When the New Patriotic Party (NPP) disputed the 2012 elections, it did not resort to violence, but proceeded to court, which adjudicated on the case.

When the Supreme Court came out with its verdict, the plaintiffs accepted the position of the court to admiration of the world. No single gunshot was fired, neither did any one lose his life as a result of the disputed election.

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has currently expressed its opposition to the decision by the Electoral Commission to compile a new voter register. The party first used a democratic instrument – demonstrations – to register its protest. When that did not work, its leadership has proceeded to the Supreme Court to challenge the issue.

The party is anxiously waiting for the verdict from the court, but instead of following the good example of the NDC leadership, people with sympathy to the umbrella party are making all kinds of threats.

Though those issuing the threats are quick to make reference to similar statements made in the past by some members of the current government, The Chronicle does not think it is a good example to cite, because what was condemnable yesterday is condemnable today.

Since Ghana is the only country Ghanaians have, we must do everything possible to protect it. Hate speech is like a pandemic, when it strikes a country it devastates everything in it. We must, therefore, be careful about what we say on air to safeguard the peace of this country.

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