Political scientist Professor Ransford Gyampo has criticised powerful nations for mistreating foreign nationals in detention, drawing on a personal airport experience abroad to make his case during discussions on TV3’s The KeyPoints on May 16.
Contributing to a broader conversation about a Ghanaian individual detained abroad, Prof. Gyampo recounted being pulled aside by immigration officers during a trip without explanation and prevented from making phone calls. He described the experience as humiliating and a violation of basic human dignity.
“What sort of lawlessness is this? What sort of inhumanity is this?” he said.
The political scientist argued that economic power and development status should never serve as justification for mistreating citizens of less wealthy nations. He challenged the credibility of countries that present themselves as champions of democracy and human rights while applying those standards selectively depending on the nationality or economic standing of the individual involved.
Beyond the treatment of individuals in detention, Prof. Gyampo raised concern about how Ghanaians process allegations circulating online. He warned that partisan interests frequently elevate unproven accusations to the level of accepted truth before any evidence is tested, and urged the public to resist that tendency.
He also offered measured praise for the tone of public response to the case under discussion, noting that Ghanaians appeared to be prioritising the welfare and rights of the detained person over the spread of unverified claims, a response he described as appropriate.
Prof. Gyampo closed by calling for greater national cohesion, arguing that Ghana needs shared values that bind citizens together beyond the usual unifiers of football and religion. He also called on the international community to ensure that fairness and human dignity are upheld in all arrest and detention processes, regardless of a detainee’s nationality or their country’s economic standing.
