Ghana’s democratic gains are being eroded under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, says some Members of Parliament (MPs) of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

This, according to them, is worrying since the president President Akufo- Addo has in the past been an advocate for human rights.

They said President Akufo-Addo has lost the privilege of referring to himself as a human rights activist following the abuse of the citizenry by some security personnel in recent times.

In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, the MPs called on security agencies to insist on their independence.

For his part, the MP for Bolgatanga East, Dominic Akuritinga Ayine said the country is witnessing the culture of silence under the watch of Akufo-Addo.

“We are seeing the reintroduction under the Akufo Addo regime of the culture of silence. And you see the surprising thing is that the people like me who were students when the dawn of our constitutional democracy begun, we had high hope. We were inspired by the activities by the like Nana Akufo Addo who was a human rights activist…..He used to come to deliver lectures about human rights. Today, under his watch those rights are being gradually eroded away and that is the sad aspect of it because it’s a paradox that the fighter for fundamental human rights, is himself supervising the gradual erosion of those rights under our constitution” he said.

The MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Constituency in the Central Region, Mr Cassiel Ato Forson said people were allowed to criticize and sometimes insult both although Former presidents Mills and John without their fundamental freedom taking away for them.

“We did not maltreat, brutalise, anyone who speaks against the government of the day. You could criticise us freely. In fact, there are times that people even insulted the president of the day. President Mills was abused, John Mahama was abused but no one touched them. No one beat them up, the military was not unleashed to destroy people's lives", he stated.