Convener of the Social Justice Movement, Nyeya Yen has agreed with assertions that the media, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and prominent individuals in the country have a soft for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and thus, are less critical of the NPP and its governments as compared to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
According to Mr. Nyeya Yen, the media and groups, which hold governments in check, do not regard the NDC as a democratically established political party because of its historical background and thus, tend to be hostile and aggressive in their criticisms of the NDC and its governments.
However, they hold the NPP in high esteem and regard it as a well-established political party hence, are less critical of the elephant party and its governments.
“The NDC is a subset of the NPP in the sense that the NPP has been a traditional party in Ghana that has its roots from the United Gold Coast Convention that has very good strength and links from feudal aristocracy and money. So that is why they even survived throughout Nkrumah’s period and that is why they survived the Rawlings’ era and are a party.
The NDC is a state party. A state party in the sense that when the PNDC had to give up, they had to find a way to legitimize themselves and that is why they used the state and created the NDC. And therefore, it is a sub-set of the NPP. So the NPP tend to look down on the NDC and the various establishment like the press, the media and all those who control this country see the NDC as a lesser party than the NPP and that is why sometimes, you have the House of Chiefs, the GBA and others are not as hostile to the NPP as they are hostile to the NDC,” he explained.
The media, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and prominent individuals in the country have been criticized for not speaking against the wrongs of the Akufo-Addo’s government. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a section of the public claimed the media and CSOs as well as prominent individuals who were critical of the Mahama’s administration and held the erstwhile government to ransom have lost their voices under the current administration despite the ills of the government.
Senior citizen, Sam Jonah, while delivering a public lecture this year, decried the return of culture of silence as he remarked that individuals who are supposed to speak against social ills have, out of convenience, parochialism, hypocrisy and lack of conviction, remained silent over wrongs in the country.
Some, however, believe the supposed return of the culture of silence is due to the alleged sheer intolerance by the government and its attempts to suppress media freedom through intimidations and arrest of journalists.
Speaking in an interview on Dreamz FM’s State of Our Nation, Mr. Nyeya Yen concurred with this belief, stating “The first 4 years, it was extremely difficult to criticize the NPP. They could cause murder. And they did”.
