The National Security Minister, Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah has again received criticisms and condemnation following his recent allegations describing some individuals and groups particularly civil society groups, media and the academia for inciting coups through their public commentary on national issues.
In a statement issued on Saturday, October 21 2023 by the Executive Director Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability, Mr Mensah Thompson expressed grave disappointment about the comment of the National Security Minister, Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah.
According to him, one of the biggest weaknesses of President Akufo-Addo-led administration has been its constant preference to misdiagnose the problems confronting the country which has always led the country to settle on the wrong solutions to its problems.
Mr Thompson noted that Mr. Dapaah’s remarks affirmed the constant and continuous misdiagnosis of issues of the New Patriotic Party administration under President Akufo-Addo.
“So in the mind of this government, CSOs and the media who are sounding the alarm bell that the conditions that have led to coup d’états in neighbouring Countries are rife in our Country and so the Government should take steps to address the needs of the people are rather the villains and the coup mongers? Wow, incredible!!!
“And so their solution for preventing coup detat in Ghana would be to shut the so-called coup mongers up so a coup would not happen? Anyway, let me ask Mr Dapaah that has he heard any of the coup makers in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger or Guinea claim that they overthrew the government because of CSOs commentary on coups? Or has any of the coup makers told him that their reason for making a coup was because they heard the media ran a commentary on coup d’etas? What sort of logic is this Mr.Dapaah?”
Mensah Thompson
Furthermore, the Executive Director of the Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability, asserted that public commentary on the coup in the country does not in any way incite the coup but rather the government’s inability to address the numerous governance problems the country faces.
The Spiral Of Coups In Africa
Again, Mr. Mensah Thompson noted that the three key conditions that almost all the coup makers in the sub-region have given for their coup are severe economic hardship, extreme corruption, looting and nepotism, and poor governance and social injustice.
According to Mr Thompson, the inability of governments in the countries that have experienced coups to address such issues is what accounted for the respective countries witnessing the unfortunate event.
“These were the conditions prevalent in those Countries that led to a coup d’états, and so if those conditions are rife in our Country and we sound the alarm bell, that we have seen our neighbour’s beard burning and so we have to fetch water close to our own, we are rather the devil according to Mr Dapaah”.
Mensah Thompson
Moreover, Mr Thompson indicated that the National Security Minister, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah is very much aware that Ghana’s democracy has demonstrated a clear symbol of unprecedented resilience because since 2019 if all things being equal Ghana should have seen at least three coup d’états.
According to him, civil society groups, academia and the media are the last to call for a coup since it will be the hardest hit when there’s a coup as these key agencies would not be able to operate freely when there’s a coup d’état in the country.
“There were moments this Country was just on the brink of a coup, it had to take tactical manoeuvring to reach this stage and CSOs and the media were very vital in this endeavour and so if he expects that we would shut up now then we are sorry to disappoint him”.
Mensah Thompson
Additionally, Mr Thompson indicated that it is the government’s responsibility to listen to the various cautions offered by the academia, civil society groups, the media and well-meaning Ghanaians to build trust in the system and ensure social, moral and economic accountability to the people as well.
According to him, that is the only way the country can prevent a coup and not Mr.Dapaah’s ‘myopic attempt of gagging free expression’.
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