A resurfaced online footage from the period shortly after Ghana’s independence has shown opposition politician Joe Appiah accusing the government of Ghana’s first Prime Minister and President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, of gradually turning the country into a dictatorship.

The footage showed Appiah, who was a member of the parliamentary opposition at the time, and the son-in-law of Sir Stafford Cripps, a prominent figure in the British Labour Party, criticising actions taken by the Nkrumah-led government and raising concerns about democracy and the rule of law in Ghana.

Speaking during the interview, Appiah cited the deportation case involving Amadou Baba and Al-Faladan as an example of what he described as abuse of power by the government.

“The main case, as far as the opposition is concerned, is one of creeping dictatorship. Well, the finest example is the case of Amadou Baba and Al-Faladan [two Muslims who were deported]. Well, they had filed their writ in court under our law to prove that they were Ghanaian citizens, and while the case was still pending, the government brings in a special act to deport them before the court has had any opportunity of deciding the case one way or the other,” he said.

Appiah further argued that denying citizens the right to appeal in court was unacceptable in a democratic country.

“In any case, the denial of the right of appeal to the court under any circumstances is an act that no democratic people or country can tolerate. The court, unfortunately, had to uphold it because, apparently, the court felt that it had no jurisdiction to decide upon the bona fides of Parliament,” he stated.

He also questioned the government’s commitment to parliamentary democracy despite public assurances from Kwame Nkrumah and members of his party.

“Well, it's always said that actions speak louder than words. It's one thing for Dr Nkrumah or anybody else in his party to say he believes in parliamentary democracy, but my answer to that is, look at the things he's done since independence. Then let those who have seen these things and heard his words judge whether this is a parliamentary democracy,” he added.

According to Appiah, opposition leaders were still able to speak freely because the government was cautious about international reaction.

However, he claimed ordinary individuals and critics were being targeted.

“That is why we say that this is a creeping dictatorship. Dictatorship has not yet taken over. In the meantime, we are free to express our opinions, but we know that, of course, it is quite clear that they are not going to pounce on people like the leader of the opposition or members of the front-bench opposition because they know what the reaction will be, not only in this country but outside this country.

"And, therefore, they pick on people like Amadou Baba and Al-Faladan, and the editor of our newspaper,” he concluded.

The footage also provided a rare glimpse of Appiah’s family, including his wife, Peggy Cripps, daughter of prominent British Labour Party figure Sir Stafford Cripps, and their two children.



MAG/AE

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