State must protect President and respect the law – Sammy Ayeh on Ghana Jollof brouhaha

Dr Sammy Ayeh, a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Team, has urged the State to take action against anyone who makes serious threats against Ghana's President. While Ghanaians are entitled to criticize the President, oppose government policies, support the opposition and demand change, threatening someone's life is not protected under democratic rights, Ayeh emphasized.

"Opposition is not a crime, and disagreement is not treason," he stated in a Facebook post. "Freedom of speech does not include the freedom to threaten violence."

As the Presidential Staffer, Ayeh explained that in a country where the President holds the highest executive office, protecting the President is a duty of the State. He warned that disregarding serious threats against Presidents could send the wrong message about the country's capacity to safeguard its leaders. However, Ayeh stressed that the law must be applied fairly.

"A person should not be arrested simply because they are an opposition member or a critic of the government," he said. The key question should be whether the person has committed a crime and if there is sufficient evidence to prove it, he added.

This stance comes in the wake of the recent arrest of a nurse, said to be associated with 'Ghana Jollof,' who has been inciting violence on TikTok. Ayeh highlighted that while the rights of every accused person must be respected, the police must conduct a thorough investigation, prosecutors should rely on evidence, and the courts must ultimately decide the guilt of the accused.