Opinions of Tuesday, 6 October 2020

Columnist: Dr Richard Amoako Baah

Kosi Kedem misinformation borders on treason

Some members of the Volta Separatist Movement Some members of the Volta Separatist Movement

Most of the information being spread by former Member of Parliament for Hohoe South, and himself a member of the consultative assembly that drafted Ghana’s 1992 constitution is false, and borders on treason.

Though Mr. Kedem as a Ghanaian has the right to speak his mind, a right provided by the constitution of the nation Ghana, he does not have the right to spread dangerous misinformation.

His declaration that Ghana does not legally exist means he himself is not a Ghanaian to be given a platform to talk about Ghana, and the 1992 constitution he helped to draft must be for Togoland.

A person who has been lawfully elected a member of parliament under Rawlings, a president who comes from the territory formerly known as Togoland cannot become President of Ghana unless Togoland was part of Ghana. Since Mr. Kedem served not under Togoland, but Ghana, his declaration that Ghana legally does not exist, is nonsensical.

Ghanaians do not have the habit of electing foreigners to parliament in Accra and also include them in the discussion of such an important national issue. By his argument, Mr. Kedem is not a Ghanaian because Ghana does not exist.

If Mr. Kedem is not aware, Articles 3 and 19 of the Constitution of Ghana state:

3 Any person who – (a) by himself or in concert with others by any violent or other unlawful means, suspends or overthrows or abrogates this Constitution or any part of it, or attempts to do any such act; or (b) aids and abets in any manner any person referred to in paragraph (a) of this clause; commits the offence of high treason and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to suffer death.

19 (17) Subject to clause (18) of this article, treason shall consist only- (a) in levying war against Ghana or assisting any state or person or inciting or conspiring with any person to levy war against Ghana; or (b) in attempting by force of arms or other violent means to overthrow the organs of government established by or under this Constitution; or (c) in taking part or being concerned in or inciting or conspiring with any person to make or take part or be concerned in any such attempt.

By his pronouncements, Mr. Kedem is providing the intellectual and false historical backing for those who have engaged in violent acts against Ghana.

Historical information does not necessarily have to come from those who were alive during an incident, especially this issue that involves the United Nations.