Governance analyst Ali Moro has criticized the arrest and detention of some opposition New Patriotic Party loyalists, describing the development as part of a worrying pattern that threatens democratic principles and fundamental human rights in Ghana.
Speaking on Dreamz FM’s “Dreamz Breakfast News,” Mr Moro said governments must avoid using state institutions as tools for political retaliation.
“We are not in an era of equalization. What was wrong in 1990 is still wrong in 2020,” he said.
According to him, while public communication and conduct can be monitored under the law, it is wrong to use detention as a means of punishment before conviction.
“It is also not the laws of this country for people to be punished even before they are heard. Everybody is considered innocent until proven guilty,” Mr Moro stated.
He warned against what some political observers have described as “payback politics,” insisting that governance should not be driven by vengeance against political opponents.
“The moment you are in the business of governance, payback should not be a mantra,” he said. “The day you take power is the day you start making preparations and plans for your exit.”
Mr Moro argued that governments must remain consistent in defending justice and human rights regardless of whether they are in opposition or in office.
“A wrong is a wrong. It does not mean that when you are in power you see things differently and when you are in opposition you see things differently,” he said.
The governance analyst further cautioned that repeating actions previously criticized under another administration undermines public confidence in democratic governance.
“The NPP lost woefully because Ghanaians were not happy with whatever they were doing,” he said. “If you were given the trust by well-meaning Ghanaians and then you want to do the same thing that the NPP did, then you’ve lost the concept.”
Mr Moro also criticized the use of political commentary that he said fuels tension and division, urging political actors to focus on national development instead of partisan confrontations.
“This country becomes a better country than these issues of more like payback attacks which would not lead us anywhere but to divide us in the long run,” he added.
