A section of Ghanaians on social media are questioning the silence of President Akufo-Addo on the reports of brutality against protestors in Nigeria calling for an end to police brutality, among others.
Pressure on the President intensified on Wednesday after some unarmed protestors in Lagos were fired upon by Nigerian military personnel on Tuesday evening.
Some media reports from Nigeria indicated that over 40 persons may have been killed with many more wounded in protests nationwide.
The incident at the Lekki tollbooth which involved the military personnel, in particular, prompted some media outlets in Nigeria to describe the day as Black Tuesday.
Since then hashtags relating to the incident have dominated the trends in Ghana and a significant number of social media users have been calling for action from the President not only because of human rights credentials he has touted in the past but because of his standing as the ECOWAS Chairperson.
An entire generation is being wiped out in Nigeria and @NAkufoAddo, the ECOWAS Chairman has said nothing about these dreadful killings! @NAkufoAddo at what peak do you want these brutalities to get to before you speak!!?#LekkiMassacre #EndPoliceBrutalityinNigeraNOW #EndSARS pic.twitter.com/Uy599mlIQj
— ||•Odonkor Emmanuel•||•
•|| (@1_odonkor) October 20, 2020
Those talking about ‘international laws’ chale currently. Laws don’t work oo. If Laws worked BUHARI would have spoken and we wouldn’t have recorded any Casualties. Akufo-Addo better do something, because the laws ankasa don’t work.#EndSARS #EndPoliceBrutalityinNigeria
— #EndSARS
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The fact that President Akufo-Addo has been vocal on incidents outside Africa like the Black Lives Matter movement, the fire at the Notre Damme cathedral, among others, prompted the intense pressure from some critics.
The President of the Republic of Ghana @NAkufoAddo is first to speak on international matters but loses his voice on local and important matters that involves lives as this! #EndSARS #EndPoliceBrutalityinNigeraNOW pic.twitter.com/kvJcvxjw4w
— #lydiaforson #africansocialstar (@Bridget_Otoo) October 20, 2020
Hillary speaks and our own leaders remain quiet?
We need the political pressure ooo @JDMahama !!! I know Nana addo won’t comment cuz it’s not a church in europe that’s on fire. https://t.co/AacKYwPDJN— BackupBoyfriend (@ku_joe_) October 21, 2020
Some, however, jumped to the defence of the President saying he was merely respecting the sovereignty of Nigeria.
I don’t know why some Ghanaians are bashing our President Akufo Addo #EndSARS
— Cool Visuals 📷📷 🔥 (@coolvisualsx) October 21, 2020
This is domestic crisis in Nigeria.
Though lives are lost but Akufo-Addo has no say in this.
The only organizations who can intervene are the African Union and The United Nations.
— Zongo Hene🤠 (@ZongoHene) October 21, 2020
Others suggested the President may also be working behind the scenes to calm tensions in Africa’s most populous nation.
President Akufo-Addo is not complicit. I believe he is using all the diplomatic instrument within his power to being what is happening in Nigeria to an end.
— N.B.A (@Boakyewaa_N) October 21, 2020
A Statement of the President of Ghana isn’t enough to make any impact on the issue in Nigeria. Those whose statement carry weight and has a lot of impact is the Government of Nigeria. They are the only ones who can speak to stop this nonsense. Leave Nana Akufo-Addo alone.
— Moses adi donkor (@Mosesadidonkor) October 21, 2020
Criticism of the President continued on the Citi Breakfast Show, where a lawyer, Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo, said calls for comments from the President were justified.
He stressed that human rights have become a universal principle of international law.
“So when you have a situation where in a country there is a clear violation of the rights of protesting persons who are unarmed and there is evidence of the use of state force to brutalise and murder these people, every country that is in ECOWAS and the UN and that has a moral conscience has a responsibility to speak out against such violations.”
Reaction to ‘Black Tuesday’
The Nigerian army has denied the reports its men opened fire on unarmed protestors and have promised an investigation.
It did not issue a statement but tagged several news reports on Twitter relating to the incident as “fake news”.
An indefinite 24-hour curfew has also been imposed on Lagos and some other regions.
Condemnation of the Nigerian government has been global, ranging from Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo to US presidential candidate, Joe Biden.
Joe Biden urged Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari to halt the “violent crackdown on protestors”.
Protests began against the now-disbanded police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), on October 8, 2020.
The protests expanded to demand reforms to Nigeria’s securing services amid evidence of abuse of power, torture and extrajudicial killings.
