In a striking opinion piece, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, a private legal practitioner and spokesperson for the Mahama 2024 campaign, has accused the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government of being fearful of the Ghanaian people. She claims the government’s recent actions demonstrate a clear attempt to stifle public dissent, as evidenced by the arrests of demonstrators protesting against illegal mining, known as galamsey.
Mogtari highlighted the recent case in Accra, where a circuit court granted the government’s request to remand several demonstrators, including an elderly woman and her granddaughter who carried water from a contaminated river. Also arrested was activist Felicity Nelson, whose efforts to raise awareness about galamsey have brought the government’s inaction to the fore.
She emphasized that the root of the problem lies in government complicity, as many officials and members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) are allegedly involved in illegal mining activities. According to Mogtari, this corruption explains why the government has been reluctant to address the galamsey crisis despite its devastating impact on Ghana’s environment and communities.
“The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration is not only failing to act but is also using the police and the courts to suppress the voices of innocent Ghanaians,” Mogtari stated. She believes that these heavy-handed measures are a deliberate attempt to prevent mass protests and maintain an illusion of public support in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.
Mogtari argued that the government’s actions are driven by fear—fear of the rising anger among Ghana’s youth, particularly those who are unemployed and disillusioned with the current administration. With elections just months away, she suggested that the ruling government is desperate to suppress dissent to prevent a backlash at the polls.
“The real threat to the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration is the determination of young Ghanaians to make their voices heard through their votes,” Mogtari wrote. She accused the government of trying to silence both street protests and the people’s vote on December 7th. However, she vowed that this time, the people would not be silenced.
Mogtari urged Ghanaians to redouble their efforts in ensuring that the current government is not granted another term. She called for a mass turnout on election day to ensure that no amount of electoral manipulation would change the outcome. According to her, Ghana needs a government that listens to its people, not one that works against them.
She concluded with a call for the people to see through the government’s public relations efforts and recognize its failures. “The actions of Akufo-Addo and Bawumia will be remembered on December 7th, and we will vote for change. Our voice and our vote still matter, and we will use them,” she declared, expressing her support for John Mahama as the right leader to guide the nation forward.
**End.**
