Chairman of the National Media Commission (NMC) Mr Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, has wondered why some persons are claiming there is suppression of free speech or culture of silence in Ghana when these same people appear on radio and television stations daily to express their views on national issues.
In his view, there is no suppression of free speech in Ghana.
He explained that anytime a person speaks favourably of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), most definitely supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will attack that person, or the way other way round.
This, in his view, cannot be described as culture of silence although he, believes this situation is pushing away a of of knowledgeable resources person away from commenting on issues thereby allowing ignorant individuals tp dominates the airspaces.
Asked whether there is suppression of free speech in Ghana while speaking in an interview with TV3’s William Evans Inkum, Mr Ayeboafo said “Who is suppressing who? Some of the times you listen to some of the people saying that they are not allowed to express themselves and yet they are expressing views, they are sitting on radio stations, they are sitting on TV stations and still they say they are being suppressed.
“Recently, I listened to a progremme on a radio station where somebody was saying that Nana Akufo-Addo is a lawyer but he doesn’t understand the law and that we don’t need any referendum for the election of DCEs, and he was quoting from constitution. Meanwhile there is nothing like that in the constitution. This is ignorant person.
“What I know, from where I sit is that because of political intolerance in the country, if you speak favourably of the NPP, the NDC people will attack you, if you speak favourably of the NDC, the NPP people will attack you.
“The consequences of this is that there are many good people who know but are not talking and so some of the times we have left those who do not know and those who do not understand to be talking.”
