NDC Communications Team member Hamza Suhuyini has affirmed the government’s commitment to upholding the people’s right to freedom of speech, insisting that the administration will not engage in actions aimed at suppressing dissent.
His comments follow a demonstration by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) accusing the government of selective justice and demanding greater accountability in the handling of criminal prosecutions.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s Big Issue on Saturday, August 8, Suhuyini said the NPP’s decision to organise the demonstration could be understood as an attempt by the party to reorganise itself and test its relevance in Ghana’s democratic space.
“But this government will not engage in acts seeking to undermine freedom of speech. Okay, that I can assure you,” he said.
Suhuyini, however, criticised the Minority Leader’s complaint over the manner in which the NPP’s petition was received, particularly the argument that the delegation should have been met by two or three government officials.
He questioned the legal basis for that demand, insisting that there was no requirement for multiple government officials to receive a petition on behalf of the President.
“Where is it stated that under law he needed two or three people to receive the petition on behalf of the President?” he asked.
According to him, the presidential staffer who received the petition was acting on behalf of the state and was therefore qualified to receive the document.
“She’s an appointee of the state,” he said.
He argued that the Minority’s status did not require the government to provide a particular number of officials to receive its petition, describing the demand as unwarranted.
Source | Citinewsroom
