{
  "id": 304188,
  "title": "We have to stay at the forefront and expand the frontiers of freedom – Kofi Bentil",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/we-have-to-stay-at-the-forefront-and-expand-the-frontiers-of-freedom",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-08T09:37:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
    "slug": "myjoyonline-ghana",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/we-have-to-stay-at-the-forefront-and-expand-the-frontiers-of-freedom-kofi-bentil/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kofi Bentil, a senior lawyer and Vice-President of IMANI Africa, has cautioned Ghanaians to remain vigilant in safeguarding democratic freedoms. He emphasized that citizens should not wait for their rights to be eroded before taking action. \"For me, I am not waiting for all of our democracy to be removed from under our feet and for us to fall down before we rise up,\" he said. \"So we always have to make sure that we are staying at the forefront and ensure that we expand the frontiers of freedom.\" The comments came after the New Patriotic Party (NPP)'s \"Democracy Under Attack\" demonstration in Accra, which saw thousands of NPP members and supporters protest alleged threats to Ghana's democracy and the weakening of key state institutions under the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC). Bentil acknowledged arguments on both sides of the debate over selective justice, suggesting that the final verdict would be based on the government's record during its four-year term. He noted that two years had already elapsed, allowing citizens to begin evaluating the administration's performance. Bentil argued that the perception of selective justice in prosecuting opposition members and freeing party officials provided evidence for this claim. However, he warned against reacting only after democratic institutions have been significantly weakened, emphasizing that the willingness of citizens to challenge authority is a crucial safeguard against the concentration of political power.",
  "summary": "Vice-President of IMANI Africa and Senior Lawyer Kofi Bentil has called on Ghanaians to remain vigilant in protecting democratic freedoms, urging them not to wait until their rights have been eroded before taking action. Speaking on JoyNews' Newsfile, Bentil emphasized the importance of continuous vigilance and willingness to challenge developments that could undermine constitutional freedoms. He stated that while there are arguments on both sides of the debate over selective justice in Ghana, the ultimate assessment would come from the government's record over its four-year mandate. Bentil noted that two years of the administration's tenure had already elapsed, providing grounds for citizens to begin assessing its record. He warned against a situation in which citizens only react after institutions and constitutional protections have already been significantly weakened, emphasizing that democratic decline can happen gradually.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Respect protesters whether you agree with them or not – Kofi Bentil tells Ghanaians",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/08/respect-protesters-whether-you-agree-with-them-or-not-kofi-bentil",
        "published": "2026-08-08T09:34:48.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}