We were promised something different. We were told a new Ghana was coming that the days of perceived injustice, political violence, and state-sponsored arrogance would be behind us. That those who once marched for freedom would defend it once in office. But instead, we have a government more obsessed with control than change, and a system that now uses power as a weapon not a service.
Twelve journalists have been assaulted in this very democratic Ghana. Not in war zones. Not in riots. But on assignment. At events. On the streets. Men and women who were simply doing their jobs asking questions, filming scenes, and holding truth to power have been slapped, kicked, arrested, and dragged by security forces with full confidence that no one will be punished.
Let us say it plainly, Security officers do not beat journalists without orders from above. They do not brutalize civilians without the protection of command. They do not operate with such boldness unless the system shields them. And it’s not just the media. Civilians are being beaten too. Just a week ago, a man, a Ghanaian was pounced on by uniformed men. No warrant. No explanation. Beaten until his face swelled, ribs bruised, dignity shattered. What was his crime? He was standing too close or granting an interview as a witness to events some days ago or was asking too many questions or simply, being a nonentity in a country where the ordinary is treated like a rag.
Who stands for him? Who speaks for the man without a microphone? The young man in slippers who gets slapped for not being important enough? Not the Christian Council. Not the Peace Council. Not the Ghana Journalists Association, not CHRAJ, not even the traditional leaders who line up to shake hands with those in power. These institutions have grown loud in election seasons and mute in the face of state-sponsored abuse. Their silence is not neutrality. It is betrayal. And while they hide behind scripture and suits, real people are bleeding. Just look at the Ablekuma by-election where violence wasn’t a threat, it was a tactic. Where chaos was not condemned, but coordinated. Look at the PNP flagbearer, Janet Nanka, driven out of the Accra International Conference Centre, AICC, not for breaking any law but for holding a placard that said “Let There Be Peace in Bawku.” Imagine that. Peace is now a threat. This is not a democracy. This is deception with a flag. This is fear wrapped in national colours. A system where truth is punished, justice is mocked, and the government issues statements not solutions.
To the government, You cannot hide behind press releases. You cannot condemn what you command.
You cannot wash your hands while holding the whip. To the institutions, You were created to speak for the voiceless but now you choose silence. When you ignore the civilian being beaten, you abandon your moral duty. When you turn away from injustice, you become part of it.
And to the people of Ghana: Do not wait until the uniform knocks at your door. Do not wait until your son is the one on the floor. This is the time to speak, to rise, and to resist. Because if we stay quiet today, the silence will become permanent.
And by the time we open our mouths, we may have no country left to speak in.
Ghana is bleeding and the world must know who is holding the knife.
Written By: Yaw Opoku Mensah, Former Spokesperson, Ministry of Education and international Coordinator Rebbfoundation.
