{"id":120709,"date":"2026-05-26T11:35:43","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:35:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=120709"},"modified":"2026-05-26T11:35:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T11:35:43","slug":"boakye-agyarko-condemns-arrest-of-npp-activists-calls-for-fair-hearing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=120709","title":{"rendered":"Boakye Agyarko Condemns Arrest of NPP Activists, Calls for Fair Hearing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>2 Minute, 21 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

NewsGhana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, Kwabena Adu Koranteng, https:\/\/www.newsghana.com.gh\/boakye-agyarko-condemns-arrest-of-npp-activists-calls-for-fair-hearing\/Former Energy Minister and New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairmanship hopeful, Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to redirect the focus of his administration toward addressing the country\u2019s economic challenges rather than targeting political opponents.
\nIn a statement issued on Tuesday, Mr. Agyarko strongly condemned what he described as the persistent arrest and detention of members of the opposition party for expressing views on key national matters, insisting that such actions undermine democratic freedoms guaranteed under Ghana\u2019s Constitution.
\nAccording to him, the alleged arrests and detentions constitute a violation of Article 21(1)(a) of the 1992 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression, and go against the spirit of the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law.
\nMr. Agyarko argued that the government\u2019s handling of dissent signals a worrying trend that could threaten Ghana\u2019s democratic credentials.
\n\u201cI have observed with growing concern and deep revulsion the systematic arrest and detention of NPP activists for simply exercising their right to dissent. As a firm believer in the rule of law, I must state clearly that these actions signal a dangerous retreat toward autocracy and a direct assault on the pillars of our Fourth Republic,\u201d portions of the statement read.
\nThe former Energy Minister further urged the Mahama administration to immediately release all individuals detained over speech-related matters or ensure they are granted a fair and transparent hearing in court.
\nHe also criticised what he described as the use of Section 208 of the Criminal Code to suppress political debate, calling on the government to \u201cdecriminalize dissent\u201d and instead concentrate efforts on solving the economic hardships confronting Ghanaians.
\n\u201cI call on President John Mahama and all state actors to ensure all activists detained for speech-related offences are freed or granted a fair and transparent day in court, cease using Section 208 of the Criminal Code to stifle political debate, and redirect energy from chasing critics toward solving the economic challenges that fuel criticism,\u201d he stated.
\nMr. Agyarko assured persons affected by such arrests of his unwavering support, promising to pursue all legal avenues necessary to safeguard their constitutional rights.
\nHe further appealed to key institutions and stakeholders, including the Ghana Police Service, the National Peace Council, the clergy, and civil society organizations, to intervene and help protect the country\u2019s democratic values.
\nMr. Agyarko also urged citizens to guard against intolerance and protect Ghana\u2019s democratic gains, stressing that the country remains a beacon of hope for democracy on the African continent.
\n NewsGhana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, Kwabena Adu Koranteng, https:\/\/www.newsghana.com.gh\/boakye-agyarko-condemns-arrest-of-npp-activists-calls-for-fair-hearing\/<\/p>\n

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NewsGhana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, Kwabena Adu Koranteng, https:\/\/www.newsghana.com.gh\/boakye-agyarko-condemns-arrest-of-npp-activists-calls-for-fair-hearing\/Former Energy Minister and New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairmanship hopeful, Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to redirect the focus of his administration toward addressing the country\u2019s economic challenges rather than targeting political opponents. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mr. Agyarko strongly condemned what he described as the persistent arrest [\u2026] NewsGhana, Latest Updates and Breaking News of Ghana, Kwabena Adu Koranteng, https:\/\/www.newsghana.com.gh\/boakye-agyarko-condemns-arrest-of-npp-activists-calls-for-fair-hearing\/<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"registered_only","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"link","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[117],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-120709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-link","hentry","category-news","post_format-post-format-link"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=120709"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/120709\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=120709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=120709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=120709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}