Editorial: Capricious Abuse Of Power

The political temperature of the country was last week raised to an unusual reading by what a learned gentleman described as �a capricious abuse of the powers of arrest�.

We could not agree more with his position, given the realities on the ground. Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings� Spokesman, Kofi Adams and the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Rose Bio-Atenga, were in a joint operation which saw a radio station almost cordoned by both a platoon of police personnel and an organized mob.

A young Nana Darkwa was said to have passed comments which put the image of ex-President Rawlings in bad light. Kofi Adams said he made a complaint to the Police, especially when, according to him, the young man said he had evidence about the charge he leveled against Mr. Rawlings.

Sister Rose however claimed her movement to the radio station was because an entrapped Darkwa needed to be rescued from an angry mob by the Police.

�Rescue� they did, without arresting any member of the �organized� mob outside the radio station. It was worrying listening to the mostly damning remarks from callers into radio stations about Rose.

If a Regional Police Commander loses so much face, it is doubtful that she can garner the vital cooperation required to undertake the policing of her area of jurisdiction.

She might have to review her interpersonal relationship which for now is anything but acceptable.

Many Ghanaians have flayed Rose over her �report� that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the work of an arsonist even before the relevant body had finished its work. Someone remarked rather cynically, �it is as if she is donning the T-shirt of a political party with the Police cap on her wig.�

So swift was the unfolding development of last week that by the time it reached a crescendo or rather an anti-climax, Ghanaians were virtually gasping for breath.

Although we found the President�s remarks a healthy development, the kind impression is marred by the amazement that the head of state was unaware about the unfolding political goof. Even the BBC was not left out of the news gravy train as the international network carried it in their bulletins.

Be that as it may, we wish to ask that the freedom of expression won for the country by her citizenry, at the instance of the immediate past government, should under no circumstance be doused by frivolousness.

From their mood between Thursday and Friday, most Ghanaians appeared set to defend the freedoms won for them by the previous government and their individual efforts.

It was refreshing to note that the president got wind of the happening, albeit after it had tipped the scale.

We find it amazing that matters were allowed to degenerate to the level they did last week, leaving scared Ghanaians to recall with trepidation the dark days of the 80s.

They even wondered whether those days are not returning, given the hubris in the remarks of the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander in her state of euphoria.

Preceding her response to the Oman FM network on Friday morning was a crude giggling, as she appeared excited about arresting the man she claimed to have rescued.

It would be in our best interest as a nation not to forget that truth shall always be out and that falsehood, its negativity notwithstanding, should be given space.

It may sound outlandish but it is a fact that without giving room to falsehood, truth, as a most preferred virtue, cannot be discerned.

It is when both truth and falsehood are juxtaposed or allowed that the reality can be identified and appreciated as a matter of course.

What happened last week, to state the least, was most despicable and we pray that we are not witnessing a deterioration of governance in the country. We do not think that we are causing fear and panic among Ghanaians by the foregone. Hmm!

Source: Daily Guide