The President of the Institute of Comparative African Studies, Ghadafi Saibu, has called on Ghanaians to avoid rushing to conclude that the remand of some opposition party members is politically motivated.
Speaking in an interview on Bullet Tv’s Noon Target, Saibu said state institutions should sometimes be given “the benefit of the doubt” when carrying out arrests and investigations.
“I think we should sometimes give institutions of the state some benefit of the doubt that sometimes arrests should be genuinely motivated and not politics,” he stated.
According to him, politicians, especially those in opposition, are often too quick to accuse the government of political persecution anytime arrests are made.
“What is happening in this country is that I think the opposition is always eager to cry foul regardless of the motives behind some arrests,” he said.
Saibu stressed that democracy and freedom of speech should not be interpreted as a licence for misconduct, adding that democratic institutions also have a responsibility to maintain order and accountability.
“Of course democracy allows freedom of speech and civil liberties, but that doesn’t mean that it should be abused,” he added.
He further urged the public to allow the appropriate state institutions to carry out their duties without undue political interference or assumptions.
“We shouldn’t be hasty enough to conclude that they’re politically motivated. Let’s allow these institutions to do their work,” Saibu stated.
CREDIT: Mavis Fantevi
