Former MP Samuel Atta Akyea has called on President John Dramani Mahama to curb what he describes as rising acts of “security thuggery” under the current administration, warning that heavy-handed law enforcement tactics risk undermining public trust in the rule of law.
In an interview on Channel One TV’s Face to Face, the former Abuakwa South legislator acknowledged Mahama’s unique return to power as an advantage, but cautioned that recent developments — including aggressive arrests and politically charged investigations — were casting a “gangster-like” shadow over his renewed mandate.
“If you look at the political history of Ghana since 1957, President Mahama is the most blessed person ever, because President Mahama is the first individual who has come back, and therefore he has the hindsight of a previous presidency. And he has been sitting on the sidelines for 8 years, looking at all that former President Akufo-Addo did.”
He praised Mahama’s renewed leadership, calling him “vintage,” and expressed hope that his second term would be marked by wisdom and success.
“My serious prayer is that he’s now vintage, there’s no dispute about it. And I expect him to succeed. My prayer is that because of his huge experience and the grace of coming back, he should be the best person around. He’s soldiering on. I hold a humble view that it’s too early to make any serious assessment of what he has done so far,” Atta Akyea added.
However, he raised concerns over recent developments related to law enforcement and political investigations, which he said were casting a shadow over the administration.
“My only problem is that it seems to me that the nation is dragging on security tuggery. Which I believe he should rein people in. I don’t believe the kind of matters in the space which is poisoning the atmosphere, some kind of gangsterism, masquerading as investigation, should be part of his government,” he stated.
He further criticised the methods employed in some arrests and investigations, citing the need for dignity and adherence to due process.
“I hold the view that you can invite a man to appear before the investigative apparatus without razzmatazz. I don’t believe somebody should be handcuffed at the Airport before they come to EOCO. I don’t believe anybody should be cornered by the streetside before they go to the CID headquarters.
“I don’t believe anybody should come to a point where we have stormed your house. When you are supposed to respect due process in your work of investigations, there’s decency about due process,” he said.
His comments follow the arrest and subsequent detention of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
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