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Majority Chief Whip, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has expressed his opposition to the arrest of individuals for allegedly insulting the government or government officials, arguing that such actions do not benefit the administration.
According to the South Dayi Member of Parliament, although insults are inappropriate, they do not pose any real threat to government and should not lead to arrests.
Speaking on TV3’s Key Points on Saturday, August 8, 2026, Dafeamekpor said some of the arrests are carried out by the Police Service without government approval, a situation he believes could negatively affect the government’s image.
“I am upset by some of these arrests; it goes against government. Sometimes government doesn’t even sanction them, it’s the police. As government, we must pay attention to some of these things; it doesn’t help,” he said.
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu also criticised the practice, saying while insults are not acceptable, arresting people over their comments is not the best approach.
Mr Kpebu argued that allowing such arrests to continue could lead to a situation where many citizens are targeted for their opinions. He called for a national conversation on alternative measures, including fines or other forms of sanctions.
He further claimed that the number of people arrested over their utterances under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration within one and a half years is higher than the number recorded during the eight-year tenure of former President Nana Akufo-Addo.
The comments were made during discussions on the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration, which focused on concerns over alleged threats to Ghana’s democratic space.
Meanwhile, Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has maintained that the NPP’s protest was not against accountability but against what he described as selective justice.
Speaking during the demonstration on Thursday, August 6, he said the party was resisting what it believes are unfair practices within the justice system.
One of the key issues raised by the NPP was the acquittal and discharge of former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, as well as claims of arbitrary arrests and harassment of opposition members by state agencies.
The party insists that these actions are politically motivated and aimed at intimidating its members.
Story by Efua Nessa