Former President John Dramani Mahama
Former President John Mahama has added his voice in condemning the killing of an Al Jazeera reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh which occurred a few days ago. The press and journalists for that matter, play an important role in democratic governance and in war-torn regions where much global attention is needed, the work of the press becomes indispensable. On this score, it is just in order for a statesman like H E. Mahama to express worries and condemn the unfortunate act.
However, one thing remains curious in the way and manner Mr. Mahama is addressing the issue of justice for journalists who have been murdered. In his post to call for investigations into the death of the Al Jazeera reporter, he smuggled in the death of Ahmed Suale, a Ghanaian journalist into the matter.
He has accused the Akufo-Addo government of not putting much effort into finding the perpetrators behind the killing. He has also indicted the Ghana Police Service, saying they have been lukewarm in their investigations to establish the killers.
This call by the former president is discriminatory, intellectually disingenuous and smacks of double standards.
There is no delight in comparing the deaths of citizens to others but for the purposes of accuracy, it will be important to remind ourselves of what transpired few years back.
The period spanning 2013 and 2016 when Mr. Mahama was the president of the Republic, several killings of innocent citizens, prominent persons and journalists were committed under his watch many of which were not investigated by his administration to bring the culprits to book.
For instance, in 2014, the District Chief Executive(DCE) for Nkwanta South, Peter Kojo Kenyeso serving under the same Mahama's government, was killed by unknown persons. His assailants were never found at the time but Mahama continued his job as president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces at the time. The question then is: was the former president not in charge of the Police Service to cause it to activate investigations into the murder of his own DCE?
When he was president, a then sitting Member of Parliament(MP) for Abuakwa South, Hon. J. B. Danquah Adu was killed but no proper investigations were done to establish the killers.
During his reign as president, a radio reporter called George Abanga and correspondent for Peace FM, was shot dead on his way back from duty in the then Brong Ahafo Region but was never investigated. There are many other murders that happened during the Mahama's administration but space will not allow the tall list.
It is therefore worrying that the former president could call for justice for Ahmed Suale whose demise occurred in 2019 and leave out the other departed journalists and citizens whose murder happened under him but whose murderers are yet to be found.
One wonders why a former president, seeking to come back and lead this country again, could be engaging in selective justice by singling out one case when there are many other equally important ones under investigation.