Former Vice President and 2028 NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has called for the release of Techiman-based nurse Salomey Awity Baffoe, whose arrest and subsequent remand over alleged involvement in the circulation of false news have triggered public concern.
In a statement on the case, Dr. Bawumia described the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the nurse, a mother of three including a four-year-old child, as “very worrying.”
Baffoe was reportedly arrested at her home in Hansua, near Techiman, around midnight on September 13 by persons who identified themselves as National Security operatives, according to her family.
She was subsequently brought before the Adenta Circuit Court, where she was remanded for two weeks.
The police have charged Baffoe with abetment of the publication of false news, contrary to Sections 20(1) and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The charge sheet alleges that she acted as a liaison for Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as “Ghana Jollof,” and assisted in the dissemination of videos posted on TikTok.
Dr. Bawumia, however, said the case raises broader questions about the protection of freedom of expression and the manner in which security agencies enforce the law.
“This is not the Ghana we want to build,” Dr. Bawumia stated, arguing that Ghana’s intelligence agencies should not be reduced to pursuing citizens over insults directed at the President or other public officials.
He stressed that he has consistently opposed a politics of insults and urged political actors to maintain decorum, noting that ideas required to transform the country cannot emerge from abusive political discourse.
At the same time, Dr. Bawumia warned against any infringement on citizens’ right to free expression, arguing that restrictions on free speech could undermine Ghana’s democratic development.
“Free speech, as unpalatable as it may be sometimes, is the foundation of our democracy,” he said.
He also raised concerns over what he described as the government’s selective application of the law, questioning why some citizens could make insulting statements and remain free while others are arrested and jailed based on the target of their comments.
Ghana|Atinkaonline.com|Vincent Kwofie
