Mahama government will not suppress dissent, NDC says
Ghana's governing NDC has rejected claims of restrictions on dissent, saying President John Mahama's administration remains committed to protecting freedom of speech following an opposition protest.
A member of Ghana's governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) communications team, Hamza Suhuyini, has defended the government's record on freedom of speech following a protest by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr Suhuyini said the government would not take actions aimed at suppressing dissent or restricting people's right to express their views.
"This government will not engage in acts seeking to undermine freedom of speech. That I can assure you," he said
on Channel One TV's The Big Issue programme.
His comments came after the NPP held a nationwide demonstration accusing the government of selective justice and demanding greater accountability in criminal prosecutions.
Mr Suhuyini said the protest could also be seen as an attempt by the NPP to reorganise itself and assess its relevance in Ghana's democratic politics.
He rejected complaints by the NPP's Minority Leader about how the party's petition was received at the presidency.
The opposition had questioned why the delegation was not met by several senior government officials.
Mr Suhuyini said there was no legal requirement for two or three officials to receive a petition on behalf of President John Mahama.
"Where is it stated that under law he needed two or three people to receive the petition on behalf of the President?" he asked.
He said the presidential staffer who received the petition was a government appointee and was therefore authorised to accept it on behalf of the state.
"She's an appointee of the state," he said.
Mr Suhuyini argued that the NPP's status as the parliamentary minority did not give it the right to demand that a specific number of government officials receive its petition.