A professor of political science, Ransford Gyampo has raised concerns about the treatment of individuals arrested abroad, questioning whether countries that project themselves as defenders of democracy and human rights consistently uphold those values in practice.
Drawing from a personal experience during a trip abroad, he recounted being detained and questioned by immigration officials after challenging delays at an airport.
According to him, he was taken aside by police officers without explanation and prevented from making calls, an experience he described as humiliating and inhumane.
“What sort of lawlessness is this? What sort of inhumanity is this?” he questioned while contributing to discussions on The KeyPoints on TV3.
He further criticized what he described as the tendency of some powerful nations to bully citizens from less economically powerful countries.
“Economic might and the level of a country’s development must not be used as a basis to bully people from other countries,” he stated on May 16.
Prof. Gyampo also cautioned against treating allegations circulating online as established facts, warning that partisan politics often turns accusations into perceived truths before evidence is presented.
“We live in a country where allegations are always taken to be the gospel truth because it serves partisan interests,” he said.
Despite the controversy surrounding the matter, he commended Ghanaians for focusing more on the welfare and rights of the detained individual rather than spreading unverified accusations.
According to him, the incident highlights the need for national unity beyond politics, religion and football.
“Beyond football and religion, we should find ways of getting ourselves united as a people,” he added.
The political scientist concluded by calling on the international community to uphold fairness and human dignity in all arrest and detention processes regardless of nationality or economic status.
By Christabel Success Treve
