Majority Chief Whip and South Dayi legislator, Rockson-Nelson Etsi Kwami Dafeamekpor, has condemned security agencies over the incessant arrest of people who hail insults at the Government.
He says such insults do not affect the Government in any way, and those doing that should be allowed to do so.
According to him, the arrest and detention of such persons for insulting public officials and the Government rather puts the administration in bad light, rather than protecting it.
Speaking on the KeyPoints show on TV3 on Saturday, August 8, 2026, the lawmaker noted that although he doesn’t support these insults on the administration and its appointees, they should not automatically result in arrests since they don’t take anything away from Government.
He noted that they create unnecessary controversy for the Government. “I am upset by some of these arrests; it hurts the government. Sometimes government doesn’t even sanction them; it’s the police,” he said.
Dafeamekpor stressed the need for the administration to pay closer attention to the development, especially when such arrests could create an erroneous impression that the Government is intolerant of dissent and criticism.
“I think that as government, we must pay attention to some of these things; it doesn’t help. These things don’t detract from the government in any way, so they should allow the people to speak,” he added.
The Member of Parliament prayed the Government to focus on fulfilling its mandate to Ghanaians and not allow those arrests stemming from political commentary to distract it.
“Let’s focus on our mandate and deliver. As a government, we don’t want this at all. Arresting people and confining them, it doesn’t help us. That is my disclaimer,” he stated.
He stressed that while offensive comments should not be condoned, the broader political and democratic consequences of arresting people over their utterances must also be considered.
He was speaking on the back of a demonstration held by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Thursday, August 6, 2026, dubbed: “Democracy Under Attack”, over what they described as selective justice and attack on free speech, accusing Government of weaponising state institutions against political dissent.
‘Democracy under attack’: ‘We are not against accountability, but selective justice’ – Afenyo-Markin
