The Minority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has criticised what he describes as acts of political intolerance by the current administration. His concerns come in the wake of the arrest of the Bono NPP Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, and the removal of Gertrude Torkornoo as Chief Justice.

Speaking during a roundtable discussion in Parliament in the presence of the UK Minister for International Development, Baroness Jennifer Chapman, and representatives of Civil Society Organisations, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said the developments reflect worrying signs of political excesses that threaten Ghana’s democratic progress.

“For instance, on the issue of justice, human rights, just yesterday I saw one of my regional chairpersons in an act of disdain, and he had been handcuffed and was being pushed into a black maria. These are things that I feel we don’t need. It’s a blot on democracy. We don’t need it.”

He added that the government bears the responsibility to ensure fairness in the administration of justice.

“The excesses of institutions, where the government has to take responsibility, can be improved upon. And of course, we, the Minority, are not satisfied or happy with how the Chief Justice was recently removed. We see it as more of politics than really ensuring that there’s some accountability,” he stated.

While admitting that new governments have the right to investigate previous administrations, Mr. Afenyo-Markin stressed that such processes must be conducted with fairness.

He urged the government to focus less on reprisals and more on addressing the pressing needs of citizens.

“The excesses, where hard-line positions dominate the centre stage whenever a government assumes office, must be a thing of the past. We cannot continue with the vicious cycle of ‘you do me, I do you.’ There are pressing national issues that require our collective focus to improve the lives of our people,” he noted.