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Social commentator, Bernard Allotey Jacobs has raised serious concerns over the 2021 US Department of State report on Ghana currently in circulation in the media.

The report highlights some human rights violation issues and gives an outlook on the country's Judiciary in passing a ruling and dishing justice or otherwise to people.

United States Report On Ghana

Underscoring what it termed as "Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, Or Degrading Treatment Or Punishment", the report read that "while the constitution and law prohibit such practices, there were credible reports police beat and otherwise abused detained suspects and other citizens. Victims were often reluctant to file formal complaints. Police generally denied allegations or claimed the level of force used was justified. According to the Conduct in UN Field Missions online portal, there was one open allegation of sexual exploitation and abuse by the country’s peacekeepers deployed to the UN Mission in South Sudan: a 2018 case involving 12 peacekeepers’ alleged transactional sex with six adults. A UN investigation substantiated some of those allegations, leading the United Nations to repatriate the alleged offenders". 

"Impunity remained a significant problem in the Ghana Police Service, and the investigation and complaints processes did not effectively address reports of abuses and bribery. Corruption, brutality, poor training, lack of oversight, and an overburdened judicial system contributed to impunity. Police often failed to respond to reports of abuses and, in many instances, did not act unless complainants paid for police transportation and other operating expenses. The Office of the Inspector General of Police and the Police Professional Standards Board investigated claims of excessive force by security force members," it further read.

Further Details of US Report 

On Denial of Fair Public Trial, the report said; "While the constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, the judiciary was subject to unlawful influence and corruption. Judicial officials reportedly accepted bribes to expedite or postpone cases, “lose” records, or issue favorable rulings for the payer of the bribe. A judicial complaints unit within the Ministry of Justice headed by a retired Supreme Court justice addressed complaints from the public, such as unfair treatment by a court or judge, unlawful arrest or detention, missing trial dockets, delayed trials and rendering of judgments, and bribery of judges. The government generally respected court orders."

The report titled "2021 COUNTRY REPORTS ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES: GHANA" also established that "the law requires detainees be brought before a court within 48 hours of arrest in the absence of a judicial warrant, but authorities frequently detained individuals without charge or a valid arrest warrant for periods longer than 48 hours. Officials detained some prisoners for indefinite periods by renewing warrants or simply allowing warrants to lapse while an investigation took place. The constitution grants a detained individual the right to be informed immediately, in a language the person understands, of the reasons for detention and of his or her right to a lawyer. Most detainees, however, could not afford a lawyer. While the constitution grants the right to legal aid, the government often did not provide it". 

More Exposition On Ghana's Economy

"The general practice of holding detainees without proper warrant or charge continued (see Arrest Procedures and Treatment of Detainees). On May 20, police arrested 21 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQI+) activists in the city of Ho on spurious unlawful assembly charges. Authorities released the activists on June 11, and dropped the case on August 5...Lengthy pretrial detention remained a serious problem. In September the Ghana Prisons Service indicated 1,595 prisoners, approximately 12 percent of all prisoners, were in pretrial status...Inadequate recordkeeping contributed to prisoners being held in egregiously excessive pretrial detention, a few for up to 10 years."

A portion on Ghana's Judiciary and on freedom of expression as well as media freedom was captured in the report reading "the constitution and law provide for freedom of expression, including for the press and other media, and the government generally respected this right, although security forces committed isolated acts of violence and harassment against journalists...There were isolated attacks on journalists by members of security forces as well as by unknown assailants and occasional threats and intimidation. In April authorities arrested online news editor David Tamakloe, allegedly working on corruption stories concerning prominent members of the government. Authorities released him without charge. Media advocates characterized the arrest as a “preemptive move” and a “clear abuse of power” as no story had been published at the time of the arrest."

Allotey Jacobs Fumes 

Assessing the US Department of State report during a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show ''Kokrokoo'', Allotey Jacobs revealed there are some Ghanaian lobbyists who divulge information to the US officials in return for a favor, therefore blaming this report on them.

To him, the antagonism in Ghana among political actors is so deep that they don't mind selling the country out to the foreigners.

''The statement coming from the State Department is a reflective mirror of what we, as Ghanaians, have portrayed to the outside world . . . from the days of our struggle for independence, from the very day the UGCC was formed, from the very day the youth broke away from UGCC and formed CPP; that antagonism has built till today. It has become an obelisk, always showing our nakedness to the world in terms of our politics. Look, we never say anything good . . . The animosity has become so deepened that I can't fathom," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.

He noted that the issues raised by the Americans isn't exclusive to Ghana but stated that the US itself has an influx of such human right violations, citing the unfortunate incidents of some US Police personnel killing civilians, especially the George Floyd saga.

Allotey Jacobs advised the sellouts and all Ghanaians to put Ghana first and esteem the nation in everything they do, stressing, "today is you; tomorrow is you. So, if you keep on destroying because for want of power, it will come down on you tomorrow. But it has to take all of us to build Ghana . . . Ghana is suffering and it is only us that can make Ghana what it should be".