President of the Doctoral Research Association, Dr. Fred Amankwah Sarfo, has intimated that it was okay for the President to have addressed the issue of ‘culture of silence’ prevailing in the country at his honorary conferment in UCC.
In a discussion, Dr Sarfo was of the view that since the President had not addressed the issue since Mr. Sam Jonah made those statement,;it was right for him to have done so at the event because it was also a platform to address citizens.
“I think that the ‘culture of silence’ now is for the President not to speak and we are gagging him. The President hasn’t said anything since this broke out and having the platform,;he enumerated a number of issues on that concern. And so, for me, the President’s desire for free speech; has been known to Ghanaians and the world over and so if one of his cardinal political points is taking away the issue of cultural silence so be it.”
Dr. Sarfo
This comes on the back of;the President dismissing the claims that there is a culture of silence prevailing under his administration. However, he noted that there is a vibrant media in the country. He made this statement at his honorary conferment at the University of Cape Coast on Saturday, May 29, 2021.
It can be recalled that, the statesman, Mr. Sam Jonah in an address stated that there was a ‘culture of silence’ prevailing in the country especially with the media. This statement which although got some support also received some backlashes from various politicians and stakeholders.
Accusing President for ‘culture of silence’, paradoxical
Dr Sarfo indicated that for someone [The President] who had spearheaded the removal of the criminal libel law to be accused of introducing a culture of silence is paradoxical.
“It is paradoxical because if he had been championing free speech and has decriminalized speech and today,;we are telling the same person that he is introducing a culture of silence. He needs to say something about it.”
Dr. Sarfo
Also speaking during the discussion, Mark Ayisi Arkoh,;PNC National Youth Organizer said the event was the best opportunity for the President to have responded because Mr. Sam Jonah was right there with him.
“Communication is when I talk and you also respond not necessarily,;we fighting but in a more responsive way for people to understand the concept from which we are talking about. We’ve criticized that there’s been a culture of silence and;the President sees that not to be true and getting that opportunity to respond,;is one of the platforms and there is nothing wrong about that.
“It’s not necessarily making that appropriate. There are preliminaries when one wants to give a speech like Otumfuo did the other day. People are saying he shouldn’t have said it but it was very needful and very important he said that. So, the President responding to it, I think that it is fine.”
Mark Arkoh
However, Nii Armah Ardey,;a governance expert was of the view that the platform was not right for some of the things that were said during the ceremony.
“I was thinking the main focus was going to be education and the quality of education which confronts us.”
Nii Ardey
