Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has expressed his disappointment in President John Dramani Mahama, over what he described as the harassment of opposition figures under the law on publishing false news.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Awuni said he had previously defended Mahama’s record on tolerance, arguing during former President Akufo-Addo’s tenure that Ghanaians had enjoyed greater freedom of expression under Mahama’s first term.
He stated that he expected the same tolerance to continue in Mahama’s second presidency.
“I feel so ashamed about what is happening now. It is as if we are in a military regime,” Awuni wrote.
He cited the arrest and detention of individuals, including NPP members and other citizens, for comments he described as “harmless,” including one person detained for posting about power outages.
According to Awuni, the law against publishing false information that causes fear and panic is being abused to settle political scores.
He argued that the charges often fail in court because they “lack legal legs,” but not before suspects spend weeks in custody.
The journalist said the actions of security agencies and some judges stem from an eagerness to please the political authority, noting that members of the governing party “do worse and get away with it.”
He reminded the President that he appointed the Inspector General of Police and the Director of the BNI, and that political officeholders whose complaints have led to arrests are his appointees.
“Calling your appointees and security agencies to order is not an interference in their lawful duty. It is safeguarding the integrity of our democracy,” Awuni wrote, adding that the current trend is a “blot” on Mahama’s reputation as a friend of the media.
He urged the President to act, stating, “It is your presidency. It is your legacy. Defend it. Don’t put those of us who trust in your tolerance to shame.”
Awuni further said that free speech is not a crime, “even if it is laced with stupidity,” and said the framers of the false news law likely intended it for rare cases of genuine public panic, not for teaching government critics a lesson.
