Former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Hon Yaw Owusu Obimpeh, has issued a scathing press statement firmly rebuking broadcaster Paul Adom-Otchere over recent commentary made on his television show, Good Evening Ghana.
In the statement, titled “Freedom of Expression Is Not a Constitutional Sin,” Obimpeh defended recent remarks made by NDC officials Hon Kofi Adams, Sports Minister, and Hon Fiifi Kwetey, General Secretary of the party, regarding the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) era, dismissing Adom-Otchere’s criticisms as legally flawed and politically distorted.
Clarifying the PNDC Lessons
The controversy stems from a broadcast on Good Evening Ghana in which Adom-Otchere characterised Kofi Adams’ commentary on the PNDC era as a “constitutional sin”.
As captured in the release, Obimpeh countered that the 1992 Constitution fully guarantees freedom of expression and that acknowledging historical governance strengths does not equate to endorsing military rule.
According to Obimpeh, both Adams and Kwetey were pointing to valuable lessons from the PNDC era—specifically, discipline, accountability, strict enforcement of planning and environmental sanitation laws, and the removal of unauthorised structures on waterways.
He argued that democracy should not become an excuse for failing to enforce national laws, pointing to modern-day issues like illegal wetland sales and perennial flooding as proof of current regulatory weaknesses.
Defence of NDC Leadership and Flagbearer Aspirants
The press release also directly addressed Adom-Otchere’s televised critique concerning the competence of the NDC’s potential flagbearer aspirants.
Obimpeh strongly rejected the journalist’s commentary, stating that the NDC does not seek or require validation from political commentators or partisan sympathisers to choose its leadership.
”Persistent disparagement of every prospective NDC leader only reinforces the perception of political bias rather than objective analysis,” Obimpeh noted in the release.
Obimpeh concluded the statement by emphasising that the true measure of a strong democracy lies in the courage of its institutions to enforce laws fairly and consistently.
He urged public commentators to uphold their responsibility to inform rather than inflame public discourse.