1. The Centre for Social Democracy-Ghana has noted with deep worry the growing human rights abuses being visited on well meaning citizens of Ghana and the deliberate attempt to gag and ensure the culture of silence under the Nana Addo led Presidency: a supposed champion of human rights.

2. The latest among the growing number of incidents is the unlawful distraction and arrest of the leader of the Economic Fighters League: Ernesto Yeboah during a vigil to demand justice for the racist killings in the USA by the police as well as justice for Ghanaians who lost their lives unjustly in recent memory. It must be noted that, all COVID-19 protocols prescribed by government were adhered to during the vigil and those present were less than 100.

3. It is worthy to note that placards during the vigil demanded justice for America’s George Floyd, Amaud Aubery and Breona Taylor, all of whom were killed in the last few months, additionally, there were placards of the four Takoradi Girls who were kidnapped and killed in the Western Region, slained journalist with Tiger Eye P.I. Ahmed Suale and Eric Ofotsu, the Ashaiman resident shot and killed by a soldier during the lockdown period.

4. The leaders of the vigil had indicated that, the police was given six clear days of notice before the vigil on Saturday 6th June, 2020. Ironically, Government spent tax payers money to organize a funeral on Friday in Accra for the late George Floyd. The marches across the world in solidarity for BlackLivesMatter and George Floyd are being organized by private individuals and civil rights activists, it is only in Ghana that a government has wasted it's scarce resource as such and turn round to arrest activists showing solidarity for Americans and Ghanaians being treated unjustly.

5. The act by H.E. Akufo Addo led government and the Ghana Police Service has soured Ghana’s international reputation as a home to the Global African citizenry, and the foremost advocate of Black rights since her independence in 1957. Recently thousands of Black Americans traced their ancestry to Ghana during the Year of Return. The least we could do to thank them was to allow the vigil to show solidarity at the Black Star Square and not to disrupt and arrest the organizers.

6. Accordingly, CSD-Ghana calls on H.E. Nana Akuffo Addo as a human rights activist to sanction those persons who visited such undemocratic acts and apologise accordingly to the Economic Fighters League and Ernesto Yeboah.

#BlackLivesMatter #GhanaianLivesMatter

LONG LIVE BLACK STAR OF AFRICA

Signed: Kwame Ampomah, Fellow CSD-Ghana

Beatrice Annangfio, Esq Fellow, CSD-Ghana