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Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare (aka Kweku Azar) says he cannot agree with veteran journalist and writer Elizabeth Ohene in her latest stance against non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs).
According to Kwaku Azar, a member of Public Law and Justice at CDD-Ghana, it is correct and it is a constitutional duty of CSOs, NGOs, the media and other state institutions to keep the government in check and to do it loudly and repeatedly. .
He explained that during Ohene’s days as the editor of the Daily Graphic, some members of the general public labeled her an “all-knowing editor,” but he, Kwaku Asare, then a student, along with other students, supported her.
The people, he argued, “were wrong then to question and attack their knowledge, motive and even morality simply because they dared to demand accountability and transparency from [the] government.
“My aunt [in reference to Ohene] He was right at the time to speak truth to power and he is terribly wrong now to attack those who are speaking truth to power !! “
Professor Asare posted on his Facebook timeline Wednesday: “People in power in Ghana like to bully. And, with their “fanatics”, they manage to intimidate many. As such, many are afraid to say something to [the] government because it will release its attack dogs on them ”.
He added: “Many are afraid to question the judges because they will reproach them when they appear before them. Many are afraid to question teachers because they will fail us, etc. They have managed to silence most of us! ”.
On the subject of the Agyapa scandal, Kwaku Azar wrote that NGOs and CSOs are right in demanding that mineral royalty income be used in a beneficial, responsible, responsible, sustainable and transparent manner.
“They are right to insist that the Auditor General should be allowed to do his job. They are right to wonder why and how Ghana lost $ 200 million due to the PDS. They are right to question Agyapa’s economy and governance. They are right to ask why Korn Ferry is being used as a headhunter in 2020 and how much they are paid. “
Professor Stephen Kwaku Asare emphasized: “They are right to ask how much Agyapa’s transaction advisers were paid when the Attorney General’s Department could do [the] same work for free. They have asked such questions not only of the current government but also of all previous governments, as is their right. [so] what to do. The notion that unanimous decisions of the Court must end the debate is foreign to lovers of the law. Re Akoto, Ayine, France, etc. they were all unanimous. Few agree with them! “
Elizabeth Ohene, in her latest article entitled “Omniscient Neutrals” questioned the inability of Ghanaian NGOs and CSOs to accept criticism.
He stated that CSOs were “currently very busy doing what they do best, which is pointing out what the government is doing wrong.”
He then charged: “Since that is their self-proclaimed role, I would not feel the need to comment were it not for the persistent fact that CSOs seem to think that any criticism directed at them means that you are against them.”
Ohene, who was a minister of state, added that she couldn’t understand why it was okay for CSOs to point out what they believed was wrong “and yet someone who points out what they could have gone wrong is supposed to mean that I don’t want them to exist. ”.
She further wrote: “These groups have strong opinions and express them in colorful language. I like that. They claim to love Ghana much more than anyone and definitely more than anyone in politics. I have problems with that. They claim to be honest, hard-working and efficient and have answers to all problems. You are wrong “.
Elizabeth Ohene continued: “They say they are not political parties, and they are openly dismissive of politicians, especially those in government. Sometimes it is difficult to discern that they believe that someone other than themselves serves Ghana or has good intentions towards Ghana.
“They seem to operate on the general principle that governments are corrupt and ineffective and that NGOs and CSOs are clean and effective. For what it’s worth, I don’t agree. “
Source: ghanaweb.com
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