Pratt confers with Akufo-Addo during a press event at the presidency | File photo
Kwesi Pratt hails impact of Akufo-Addo on his politics
The veteran journalist is concerned about excesses of free speech
Slams detention without bail as a ‘show of where power lies’
The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper has disclosed that most of the democratic values he holds dear today were learned under the feet of Nana Addo Dankwa
According to Kwesi Pratt, his then ally in the democratic struggle (Akufo-Addo) taught him and others a lot about democratic values such as rule of law, freedom of speech, criminal libel law among others.
Pratt is also concerned about the blatant abuse of the freedom of speech as pertains in recent times with character assassination and vile propaganda being peddled in the media.
Speaking on Accra-based Peace FM’s Kokrokoo programme on February 18, 2022, the veteran journalist said: “When it comes to rule of law, freedom of speech, criminal libel law and other related matter. Most of what I have learnt was from Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“When we used to be allies and worked together, he taught us about a lot of things and we agreed with him and teamed up with him to fight the government based on what he told us,” he added.
He lamented the state of media insults but charged that there was the need for people in authority to act legally in seeking to remedy the excesses of media freedoms.
“Truth is, at of now, things are not going well. Today, when you monitor the media, you ask where are we going?
“Some of the things said are raw, vile insults. That a person’s head is big or small, how does it help anyone. So much so that people attack appearances of others.
“But we need to act legally in all of this, why are people arrested and not granted bail, it is clearly a case of showing them where power lies,” he submitted.
