A couple of days ago; I gave my first public statement concerning my arrest. In that statement, I mentioned that “I was tortured and subsequently detained for 35 days”. I have yet to give details of how I was tortured at the hands of a group of people, some in military fatigues, others who were plain-clothed.
Yet, despite the lack of details, the fact that I was tortured was on every TV station and radio station. From breakfast shows to Radio programs. One MP has indicated an intention to file an urgent question in Parliament. (I was deeply moved)
For the past year; a Ghanaian citizen, Ms Evelyn Aidoo (known to many as Ma’Adzepabi Serwaa-Broni) has detailed the abuse of the Presidential jet; and the fact that the President used our national security operatives to stage an armed robbery attempt on her. The purpose of which was to retrieve the President’s naked pictures and videos of him. Unlike me, who has stripped down to my boxers and had no opportunity to video my abuse; Evelyn has tons of videos, pictures, text messages and CCTV recordings.
Till today, all our mainstream media have refused to pick up the story. Our MPs have been silent. Evelyn is our Monica Lewinsky moment! Evelyn’s attack is our Watergate Scandal.
Yet she has received zero protection! I hope you are all watching how National outrage is gendered!
We have normalized abuse against women. Even at the highest level; an issue which should get all of us greatly outraged, everyone has turned their eyes elsewhere!
The minority in Parliament just wants the sensational value. They want her to release the naked pictures so they can use them for campaign. They have the power to call for and obtain a Committee of Inquiry in Parliament. They have the power to initiate impeachment proceedings against the President.
No one seems sufficiently outraged about the real issues of abuse of state power to harass and torture persons the President feel are threatening his authority. There is a clear pattern. And Evelyn has said there are several other ladies who have reached out to her and who are waiting in the wings to tell their story.
Why are we silent? Why are we going about typing #LeaveToLive and #MeToo and #TimesUp when stories from other countries pop up; yet our own citizens get none of your outrages! You only want news of the common labourer who beats his wife so you can show your feminism? You want stories of a nobody saying her wife belongs in the kitchen to get worked up?
We are before strong systems of how power and structure impact women and devalue their agony. You are quiet.
If we want everyone to see that they cannot get away with abuse; the highest Person in this land must be made to account for the violation of law and for devaluing the pain of women.
We must impeach the President, and the voices that must lead this call must not be only me and a few others but also women voices in this country!!
I understand there are attempts to privately negotiate a settlement with the President. Listen to me, all you lovers of our DEMOCRACY! Those whose faces contort when they hear the words Coup de Chapeau. We cannot allow abuse of Public Power to be privately settled. So much has happened that paying HUSH MONEY cannot be allowed to disable inquiry into the abuse of State power and resources.
Our democracy will suffer for it! And if we allow impunity to reign and this fourth republic to be a democracy of impunity, then I will spend my entire life praying for a COUP D’ETAT, because enough is enough!
We only need 1/3 of MPs to initiate impeachment proceedings. We don’t care about the final vote. We care that in times of great moral crisis, our Parliament stood up to protect our democracy.
If what the President has done crosses no lines; and is not treated as enough basis for an impeachment of the man, then any President can get away with murdering Ghanaians in their homes.
This is not a partisan issue! We must act to save our democracy.
IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT NOW! TIMES UP
Theresa Lardi Awuni
Francis-Xavier Sosu
Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa
Alhassan Suhuyini
Dafeamekpor Etse Rockson Nelson
