The United States Department of State has released a report on Ghana aimed at revealing human rights violations in the country and, in the attempt to establish some facts about the nation.
The lengthy report titled “2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Ghana” painted a negative picture of Ghana’s judiciary as it alleged that Judicial officials tend to be corrupt.
US Department Of State Report
The report read; “While the constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, the judiciary was subject to unlawful influence and corruption. Judicial officials reportedly accepted bribes to expedite or postpone cases, “lose” records, or issue favourable rulings for the payer of the bribe. A judicial complaints unit within the Ministry of Justice headed by a retired Supreme Court justice addressed complaints from the public, such as unfair treatment by a court or judge, unlawful arrest or detention, missing trial dockets, delayed trials and rendering of judgments, and bribery of judges. The government generally respected court orders.”
It also touched on other areas of Ghana’s economy, one of such is respect for the integrity of persons.
The US report stated that “there were a few reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. Offices charged with investigating security force killings include the Special Investigations Branch of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Police Professional Standards Bureau. On June 26, unidentified perpetrators beat #FixTheCountry movement supporter and social activist Ibrahim “Kaaka” Muhammed in Ejura, Ashanti Region. On June 28, he died in the hospital from his injuries.
“Muhammed, who was also a member of the Economic Fighters League (EFL), was a vocal anti-corruption activist, and #FixThe Country had protested against restrictions on freedom of assembly (see section 2.b., Freedom of Assembly). EFL reported that Muhammed had received threats due to his activism, and police had warned him prior to his beating and death against disturbing the peace. An investigation into Muhammed’s death continued. On June 29, during protests in the wake of his death, security forces shot and killed two persons (see section 2.b., Freedom of Assembly)”.
Political Twist
The report has taken a political twist as some political opponents of the incumbent government led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo argue the contents are reflective of the government’s actions and how the President is steering the country’s affairs.
A publication by The Herald newspaper on Wednesday, April 27, captioned “US Human Rights Report Indicts Akufo-Addo’s Ghana” said “for a country in the hands of a human rights lawyer, Nana Akufo-Addo, many had expected an impressive “Country Reports on Human Rights Practices” from the United States Department of State but that is not the case with the 2021 report. The Americans, have poorly rated Ghana’s human rights constitutional democracy, there are “significant human rights issues” including “credible reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings by the government or its agents; cases of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment by the government or on behalf of the government”.
Template
But seasoned journalist, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has exposed the template of the US report, while also cautioning against politicizing issues raised.
Making shocking revelations about the report during Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo” Wednesday morning, Kweku Baako noted that the US Department of State has been duplicating the report almost every year, therefore no matter how the economy is going, they reproduce the same results for Ghana.
According to him, the Americans have made a template of their report and this template keeps featuring in all other reports conducted about Ghana.
Mr. Baako pulled records from archives, juxtaposed the 2021 report with previous ones, to expose the United States.
He somehow stated the US have been doing ”copy and paste” as he read a portion of the 2021 report under the section “Denial of Fair Public Trial” which says “while the constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, the judiciary was subject to unlawful influence and corruption. Judicial officials reportedly accepted bribes to expedite or postpone cases, “lose” records, or issue favourable rulings for the payer of the bribe” and pointed out this sentence has been running through the US reports from 2012 till 2021.
He revealed, in 2012, the US Department wrote; “While the constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, the judiciary was inefficient and subject to influence and corruption.”
In 2014, they wrote again “while the constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, the judiciary was subject to influence and corruption. Judicial officials reportedly accepted bribes to expedite or postpone cases or to lose records” and in 2015, also said “while the constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, it was subject to unlawful influence and corruption. Judicial officials reportedly accepted bribes to expedite or postpone cases or to lose records”.
The report produced the same thing in 2016, Kweku Baako further disclosed with evidence from the 2016 report which also read that “while the constitution and law provide for an independent judiciary, it was subject to unlawful influence and corruption. Judicial officials reportedly accepted bribes to expedite or postpone cases or to lose records”.
Under another section of the 2021 report subtitled “Arbitrary Deprivation of Life and Other Unlawful Or Politically Motivated Killings” which stated that “there were a few reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. Offices charged with investigating security force killings include the Special Investigations Branch of the Ghana Armed Forces and the Police Professional Standards Bureau”, Mr. Baako also highlighted similar wording in the US Department of State’s 2016 report which said “there were a few reports that the government or its agents committed arbitrary or unlawful killings. For example, in May, Police in Kumasi allegedly beat a suspect to death”.
“You see, in all, the government is mentioned and they will say government or its agents. Now, when you read the report in detail, the specifics they give are either Police, Military or other security services killing civilians but of course, they still use the word ‘government’. My understanding is that government agents”, he expatiated.
This, therefore, proves that portions of the report are photocopied and reproduced each year on Ghana’s economy.
This notwithstanding, Mr. Baako cautioned that the report shouldn’t be rubbished as, to him, “it’s a wake-up call that we should do something about our systems, about our institutions”.
“So, to be honest, I will not attack the Americans because of this report. This report has been here for a long time. Some of us have used it as the basis for political agitation, mobilization and conscientization. It will be unfair to ourselves if we turn around and say because this report is unfavourable to Ghana today, it’s bogus. It’s a negative attitude…”, he emphasized.
