KEY POINTS
- U.S. report flags Ghana rights concerns and abuses.
- Journalists face violence, intimidation, and self-censorship.
- Arbitrary arrests and lengthy detentions remain widespread.
Ghana is facing renewed scrutiny from Washington after the United States’ latest human rights review accused the West African nation of showing a “recurring disregard” for constitutional protections.
While the report acknowledged no sweeping shift in the overall situation, it flagged deepening concerns over arbitrary arrests, attacks on journalists, and the government’s reluctance to prosecute powerful figures accused of wrongdoing. The 2024 Human Rights Report paints a picture of a democracy where legal safeguards are increasingly ignored and those in authority act with impunity.
Media threats expose Ghana rights concerns
The safety of journalists emerged as one of the most alarming issues in the U.S. findings. Attacks and harassment, the report said, have created a climate of self-censorship, particularly for smaller outlets and politically unaffiliated reporters.
One high-profile case was the assault on Citi FM/TV’s Mohammed Alabira by ex-MP Farouk Aliu Mahama and his supporters during a violent political primary in January. Despite condemnation from the Ghana Journalists Association, no arrests had been made by year’s end—underscoring what Washington called a lack of accountability for abuses involving influential figures.
Arbitrary arrests and lengthy detentions persist
The report accused Ghanaian authorities of regularly flouting constitutional bans on arbitrary arrest, holding people beyond the 48-hour limit without warrants or charges. In some cases, detainees have languished in custody for years—longer than the maximum sentence for their alleged crimes—due to lost files, poor case follow-up, and limited access to legal aid.
One cited case involved a man accused of “unnatural carnal knowledge” who was detained well beyond legal limits before the case was dropped for lack of evidence.
Labour rights eroded amid weak enforcement
Beyond civil liberties, the report took aim at Ghana’s labour sector, where weak oversight allows wage laws and safety rules to go largely unenforced. Registration and renewal fees for unions are prohibitively high, and the definition of “essential services” bans strikes in sectors far exceeding international norms.
Occupational safety failures, especially in mining, persist due to corruption and poor enforcement, with the labour inspectorate described as under-trained, under-resourced, and toothless in sanctioning violators.
