Former President Kufuor
Following his ‘culture of silence’ comment, which has attracted debate in the country, former President John Agyekum Kufuor has challenged Samuel Esson Jonah to prove his allegations.
According to the former President, the allegations by the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Anglogold Ashanti is ‘unfounded’.
He has, however, added that even though the allegation lacks merit, it cannot be ignored.
“For a very responsible man like Sam to make those comments, it shouldn’t be treated casually. He must have something he is advocating, and it’s not for me to dispute him,” President Kufuor said.
The former President said Mr Sam Jonah need to prove what he is actually saying, and shouldn’t make it seem like the government is inciting some horrible acts in the country.
The former President was speaking in an interview with Accra based Citi TV when he threw the challenge.
Empty words
According to former President Kufuor, the murder of Ahmed Suale and other threats that some media personalities have suffered in recent times cannot be blamed on the government. This is because, according to him, there’s no evidence to prove that the government incited those acts.
“This government is my government. People alleging that, are they saying that it is the government that killed [Ahmed Suale]? Can they prove it? So, we have to be careful. If you mean the investigative mechanisms of state are not rising to the occasion, say that, but don’t say that it is the government that killed and it killed as a result of intolerance. We have to be careful,” President Kufuor added.
Allegation
The former Chief Executive Officer of Anglogold Ashanti, in a speech at a public lecture with Rotarians in Accra, remarked that culture of silence was slowly creeping into the country through “convenience, hypocrisy and parochialism”. The speech delivered on April 22 was under the theme ‘Down the Up Escalator: Reflections on Ghana’s Future by a Senior Citizen.’
“It appears to me that in recent times in our Fourth Republican dispensation, the courage to stand up for the truth and the determination to uphold the common good is lost. In our dark moments as a nation, it is concerning that the voices of the intellectuals are receding into oblivion. Sadly, it is a consequence of the deep partisan polarisation of our country such that everything is seen through the lenses of politics,” he stated.
He bemoaned that the Ghanaian media landscape is highly polarized because it is owned by politicians, adding that this is hindering the independence and objectivity of the media.
