A political scientist has warned that the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) is now facing a reckoning of its own making, having campaigned on language that promised swift jail terms for political opponents rather than due process and investigations.
Dr Joshua Zaato, a Senior Lecturer in the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana, observed on the AM Show on Thursday, following news that Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) had frozen assets worth GH¢1.5 billion.
According to Dr Zaato, while the legal process of investigating and prosecuting corruption is inherently slow and complex, the NDC’s campaign rhetoric gave foot soldiers a very different impression.
“They told their followers that Cecilia Dapaah — when we come, she will go to jail,” he said. “They didn’t make it look like ‘when we come, we investigate.’ That’s the difference.”
Dr Zaato argued that NDC communicators created a distinction between what they promised and what the law actually allows.
Campaigns featured strong language suggesting that specific individuals had already been found guilty, rather than framing the issue as one requiring formal investigations and court processes.
Dr Zaato said he has no issue with holding public officials accountable through proper legal channels.
“Any man or woman in any regime at all who has been invited by relevant agencies, his fundamental human rights protected and taken to legitimate processes — I have no problem with that,” he said.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com