A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Obeng Opambour, has dismissed claims that the Mahama-led administration is engaging in political persecution of citizens and members of the opposition.
Speaking on Plan B FM’s Nkosuo Nsem with Kofi Sekyi, Opambour maintained that the government is committed to ensuring accountability through lawful and transparent processes. According to him, individuals accused of causing financial loss to the state or failing to account for their stewardship are being dealt with in accordance with the law and through the courts.
He argued that recent cases involving TikToker Camilla Alhassan and the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) aspiring Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, are not acts of political victimisation but efforts to ensure individuals answer for their actions.
Commenting on the conviction of TikToker Camilla Alhassan, Opambour said while freedom of speech is a constitutional right, it must be exercised responsibly, stressing that citizens should be mindful of the consequences of making defamatory or disparaging remarks.
His comments follow President John Dramani Mahama’s assurance that his administration has no intention of prosecuting innocent people, insisting that all accountability cases will be handled in line with due process and the rule of law.
Speaking during the Citizens’ Engagement in the Volta Region on Friday, July 17, President Mahama rejected suggestions that the government’s anti-corruption campaign is intended to target political opponents.
“We do not harbour any malice against any person, and indeed, I do not take any enjoyment or pride in prosecuting people if they have done no wrong. I believe that our prosecutorial system, investigative system, and judicial system grant enough leverage for people to have justice,” the President said.
He added that prosecutions are initiated only after evidence has been carefully assessed, noting that anyone who believes they have been wrongfully prosecuted has the opportunity to seek redress through the courts.
“It shouldn’t be like we’re trying to hound our political opponents or something. We proceed on the basis of the evidence we have received, and then the evidence is weighed, and if it is sufficient, we proceed,” he stated.
Reacting to the President’s remarks, Opambour reiterated that the NDC government is not driven by a desire to persecute political opponents but rather to sanitise the country’s governance system by ensuring public officials account for their stewardship.
He accused the opposition NPP of often shielding its members from accountability, contrasting that with the NDC’s willingness to allow the law to take its course even when its own members are involved.
As an example, he cited the case of former GYEEDA Chief Executive Abuga Pele, who was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment by the Accra High Court over offences committed during his tenure at the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA). According to Opambour, the case demonstrates the NDC’s commitment to upholding the rule of law regardless of political affiliation.
By: Bernard Mensah |Planbfmonline.com
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