What The Heck Is a Witch Hunt? Where The Heck Did Witch Hunts Come From?

If you are a Ghanaian that has not been living under a rock, then you’ve probably heard a NDC or NPP politicians minimize allegations and lawsuits as merely part of a witch hunt. Which implies that there’s no substantial evidence for the persecution.

These days, NDC and NPP politicians do not speak about witch hunts as if diabolical activities need to be eliminated from Ghana.

Nope, nowadays the term “witch hunt” is invoked to minimize accusations that a political leader has done something wrong.

In the past, witches and communists really were accused of wrongdoing even if the evidence was non existent.

However, nowadays lawsuits are called witch hunts before the case is even heard in court!

This article is relevant now because NDC folks have been calling the persecution of the former CEO of the Cocobod Dr. Stephen Opuni an example of selective political persecution and political witch hunting, that would not survive any serious test.

This was released to the public before the case was heard in court!

Fact:

The Attorney General has filed 27 counts including causing financial loss to the state.

Fact:

The first court hearing has been scheduled for March 23, 2018.
So why the heck are we passing judgements before the judiciary system takes its course?

Is the persecution of Opuni selective? Yes.

Are there other instances of cronyism and corruption that are NOT scheduled to be heard in court right now? Yes.

Is the persecution of Opuni purely based upon political opinion? We will find out after the court hearing begins.

If the NDC wishes to declare their “unconditional support for Dr. Stephen Kwabena Opuni as he is presumed innocent until proven otherwise by the court,” that is within their rights.

However, no member of any political party should support anybody after the courts find him/her guilty.

Which is why the NDC rightfully countered MP Odododiodoo, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuye’s statements suggesting that the NDC will free jailed former GYEEDA boss, Abuga Pele, if the party wins power in2020.


Long before the documented and legal persecution of witches in Europe, witchcraft was given a bad name in the bible. Infamously, witch hunts occurred throughout Europe and the U.S. and female widows without money or social status were disproportionally targeted more then men.

Does that sound familiar or remarkable Gambaga? Later, an American named McCarthy aggressively ran around accusing Americans of being communist even if he had no proof. In both instances, the public eventually became less ignorant and less misinformed.

In an oversimplification of the witch hunt decline, people became more comfortable with the ideologies of rationalization and secularization.

The devil was diminished from a being that could control people and events to somebody that tempted people to commit sin. And as the accusations of witchcraft became less frequent, the societies didn’t fall apart. Which diminished the fear that without persecuting witches the societies would be overtaken by diabolical forces.

In conclusion, if the Attorney General’s case against Opuni does not survive the serious test of the court hearing, so be it.

However, let us not pass judgment before the court hearing begins on Friday. Minimizing lawsuits as witch-hunts before the due process of law undermines Ghana’s entire judicial system.