I Never Felt Threatened Under Mahama’s Government As Compared To Akufo-Addo’s – Youth Activist

Youth activist Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah is the latest media practitioner to accuse the incumbent government of suppressing press freedom in the country.

According to him, the intolerance of the Akufo-Addo government to media criticisms has earned him numerous death threats, which makes him terrified.

“As I speak to you anytime, I close from work, or when I am going home, because of the physical threats that I am experiencing, I bought a bulletproof vest. So in the evenings, when I am going home and I feel threatened, I wear it.

“You know these hooligans who have been given these scooters and uniforms claiming to be national security when they have no training whatsoever. They will sometimes call you and threaten you.

“So when you get these messages, you sometimes don’t sleep home, and you have to ensure that your family is safe, so the threats are real and it’s not a joke,” he said on Saturday.

Contributing to a discussion on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Mr Afrifa-Mensah says the situation was very different when he was a journalist under the leadership of former President John Mahama.

According to him, former President Mahama was more accommodating to criticisms than the incumbent President.

“I spoke vehemently against John Mahama’s government, and there was no time or moment when I felt threatened or felt that my life was in danger,” he told host Samson Lardy Anyenini.

Mr Afrifa-Mensah was, however, shocked that President Akufo-Addo, who touted himself as a Human Rights Activist, is overseeing the abuses being meted out to journalists.