President of the Republic Of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has addressed allegations linking his government to the arrest of protesters involved in anti-illegal mining (Galamsey) demonstrations.
In an interview with France 24 over the weekend, the president firmly denied any executive interference, stating that Ghana’s judicial system operates independently.
“I am not responsible for jailing people. The courts in Ghana are independent, and they have handled such matters well throughout the Fourth Republic,” Akufo-Addo asserted.
The president emphasized that the individuals arrested were not targeted because of their protest, but rather due to their misconduct, which led the police to take legal action.
“It is not the protest. Their behavior is what landed them before the police and the court,” he clarified.
The president’s comments follow criticism by a section of the Ghanaian public that the arrest of protesters is an attempt by the NPP government to stifle dissenting views.
President Akufo-Addo, however, rejected these allegations, stressing that his political career was built on protest and that he would never inhibit citizens from expressing their views through protests.
“How can a president, whose political career was aided by leading protests, have a problem with protesters? Nothing in Ghana is done to prevent people from airing their views,” – he said.
