A member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s communication team, Padmore Baffour Agyapong, has advised Ghanaians to accept the truth from Dr. Sam Jonah’s speech and work towards developing the country.
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The Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Sam Jonah came under heavy criticism after he delivered a speech to Rotarians under the theme; ‘Down the Up Escalator: Reflections on Ghana’s Future by a Senior Citizen’.
Among the many issues he touched on, the business mogul touched on issues of culture of silence, the Constitution of Ghana and the courage to stand for truth, among others.
But commenting on the speech and reactions to the speech, Padmore believes that it will be disingenuous on the part of anyone to attack Dr. Sam Jonah or quote him out of context to suit themselves.
According to him, Dr. Sam Jonah spoke nothing but the truth and it is high time Ghanaians reflected on his words and see how best they can apply it to the development of the country.
“Dr. Jonah said in times past in academia we had men and women with conscience who could write or speak words that penetrate the courts of power so it means that if I was a professor, lecturer or doctor at that time and there was something going on in the country, I could speak my mind. He is saying that was what it was at first and he added, however, that it is beginning to look like the courage to speak and stand for the truth and determination to uphold common good are no more there. We must accept this truth as Ghanaians.
For example, whatever NPP does seems good in the eyes of its members but the NDC will condemn it and vice versa. We have lost the courage to speak and stand for the truth so where is the lie in Sam Jonah’s submission?”, he shared with Happy FM’s Don Prah on the ‘Epa Hoa Daben’ Show.
Commenting on the ‘culture of silence’ saga, Padmore explained that carefully considering Sam Jonah’s speech it is deduced that he is not blaming any Government for the culture of silence. Rather he attributes this phenomenon to “convenience, hypocrisy”, among other things.
He thus cautioned journalists and others attacking the business mogul to carefully read and consider the speech before launching an attack.
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Background
Statesman, Sir Sam Jonah, while delivering a speech at a public lecture with Rotarians in Accra under the theme; ‘Down the Up Escalator: Reflections on Ghana’s Future by a Senior Citizen’ on April 22, 2021, remarked that the culture of silence was slowly creeping into the country through convenience, hypocrisy and parochialism.
“It appears to me that in recent times in our Fourth Republican dispensation, the courage to stand up for the truth and the determination to uphold the common good is lost. In our dark moments as a nation, it is concerning that the voices of the intellectuals are receding into oblivion. Sadly, it is a consequence of the deep partisan polarisation of our country such that everything is seen through the lenses of politics.”
“It appears to me that the culture of silence has returned. This time not enforced by legal and military power but through convenience, parochialism, hypocrisy, and a lack of conviction. Where are our Adu Boahens and PV Ansahs?” he said.