THE issue of what constitutes a national interest has been deliberated upon over the years without any generally-accepted definition of the concept. In the absence of a clearly accepted definition, state actors have acted in accordance with their own judgments and personal interests and attributed it to national interest.
GHANAIAN political activists, like their counterparts across the globe, have always been quick to use the term in governance, especially when they are caught in circumstances of making contentious decisions. History offer examples of countries that under the disguise of working in the national interest have harmed opponents. And global human right activists can point to the United States of America (USA) and other western countries as ready examples of this misuse of the term, national interest.
IN the case of the USA, there are still pending issues of so many alleged terrorists arrested at different parts of the world and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay prisons, which is art of US military base on Cuban soil. And human rights activists and other perceptive state actors continue to cite that as a typical example of the abuse of national interest policy.
THE editor of the Insight newspaper (Ghana,) Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jnr., is a strong critic of the west on that prison and hardly spares the opportunity to call for freeing inmates of the afore-mentioned prison.
HOWEVER, in recent times what could easily be mentioned as a showcase of constitutional tyranny within other democracies is showing up in Ghanaian politics. Yet what we find more worrying is the fact that persons within our borders who, in the past have strongly criticised and called for an end to such violations, have been silent over similar violations committed by officials of certain security agencies here.
IT was sheer display of madness at the Black Star Square on Independence Day, March 6, 2013 when uniformed soldiers beat up two journalists in the full glare of people who had converged there to be part of the celebration of 56 years of nationhood. The press men are Vincent Dzatse of the Ghanaian Times who was slapped; whilst his colleague, Nii Martey Botwe, of the Daily Graphic was electrified on his private part with a hand-held electrical gadget.
AFTER almost two months of a so-called investigation by an unknown military investigative team the two soldiers were discharged and deemed to have committed no crime. In a statement, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF,) Colonel Mbawine Atintande, said, ?A hand on the cheek does not constitute a slap.? What is giving weight to the PRO?s goof, we on Today have to ask him, what was the soldier?s hand doing on the journalist?s cheek in the first place?
WITH the official complaint by the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) over the GAF judgement and bashing by the public, the military has come forth to offer a weak apology and, we hear, visited the two newspapers. However, the GAF is yet to punish their men to serve as deterrent to all soldiers in future.
THE GAF has pretended it did not hear the issue of compensation for the abused journalists raised by the public in their many contributions on radio. So where is the justice in all the judgement and actions taken by the GAF?
ANOTHER issue of concern is in an announcement that made the news yesterday morning. The Ghana Police Service is using the on-going election petition case in Supreme Court as an excuse to take away the right of citizens to demonstrate as one of the means of protesting issues of concern to them. It is unlawful, but the police, per its statement, is asking the public to desist from any unlawful gathering.
THE directive, according to Police PRO, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP,) Cephas Arthur, covers all gatherings. Also, groups seeking to embark on any form of demonstrations or street protests are prevented from doing so until the end of the election petition case at the Supreme Court.
INDEED, says the police, ?all gatherings? including traditional events, such as festivals. For us on Today, it is ridiculous for the Police high command to even contemplate asking traditional councils all over Ghana to postpone indefinitely their annual festivals simply because a very peaceful court case is going on in the capital? Let the police go back and listen to itself on the matter and come again.
THOUGH this directive from the police violates a right granted Ghanaians by the constitution, the known activists and defenders of fundamental human rights, and indeed, elders in Ghana, are silent. Few who have been called to speak on the matter claim the police are acting in the national interest. What we on Today are asking them is to point out the elements of national interest in an illegal directive that violates the constitution.
WE would also ask the Police to define what they mean by ?national interest? and prove to all Ghanaians the relationship that has with people going out to demonstrate, while a peaceful court case. Until they do that, it would be in the national interest of Ghana for them to withdraw the directive.
