Freedom of speech: We are neither citizens nor spectators — Albert Nat Hyde bemoans

Ghanaian blogger, Albert Nat Hyde has lamented on the current government’s preferred route in permitting individuals in exercising their rights to share their opinions publicly.

Mr Albert Nat Hyde popularly known as “Bongo Ideas” on Friday, 19th July 2024, has expressed his total dissatisfaction in the government’s means of averting majority of the citizenry who are not in sink with the way and manner the country is being administered.

According Mr Albert Nat Hyde, he has lost several streams of revenue as a result of him falling as a victim of one of the citizens, who criticized government officials and therefore, was given inhumane treatment in order to prevent him from speaking against government.

“At the time of my kidnapping, I was making approximately $3000 every three months from 1XBET and the two year contract [2022-2024] we had was almost going to be extended.After my items were illegally confiscated by my abductors, and my Twitter @BongoIdeas logins forcibly changed, I have lost all that and more.

“I gave similar opportunities to several influencers on Twitter, Facebook, IG and Snapchat. At the time, each influencer I put on was making at least ghc6,000 from 1xBet for promoting the brand. I took no commissions! I was working with brands, had ongoing contracts with deadlines to meet, and several thousands of cedis to be collected, which never came to me.”

He further stated as a matter of fact that, “Today, I am at loose ends. My gmail, iCloud, iPhone, MacBook and other vital documents remain under lock and key by people I do not know—supposedly state-sponsored machinery!”

Mr Albert Nat Hyde emphasized that, Ghana as a country has a sky-rocketed unemployment rate and hence, the current administration’s quest to eliminate young people who have resorted to social media jobs such as influencing, content creation and others should rather be encouraged but not be crushed out by the government especially when the contents is against the government of the day.

“In a country where there are no opportunities for the youths, not only has my source of income been curtailed, but also my safety and security have been jeopardized. My voice, which was the voice of several thousands of teeming yet disgruntled Ghanaians has been radically silenced. In the face of bad leadership which has left many citizens impoverished, we can’t speak!”

He claimed that “Ghana which touts itself as the epicentre of democracy on the continent now has majority of its citizens cowered into perpetual muteness. We are neither citizens nor spectators; we are just not involved! Kevin Taylor and Twene Jonas can not dare visit Ghana; other harsh critics of the system are targeted, vilified and they’re character-ly assassinated [literally & figuratively]”

“Whether I was the architect of my own downfall or not, this is not the Ghana you and I wanna continue to live in. As Napoleon Bonaparte said “The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of the bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.” Mr Albert Nat Hyde stated.