Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has called for a national conversation to address what he describes as a growing culture of insults and hostile rhetoric in Ghana’s public and political discourse.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Mr Kpebu said the issue should not be addressed solely through arrests, prosecutions and detention, arguing that the broader problem requires collective reflection involving political actors, commentators and citizens.
He said the controversy surrounding the “Ghana Jollof” social-media account had exposed a wider challenge in Ghana’s political communication, where insults and highly charged language have increasingly become part of public debate.
According to Mr Kpebu, the problem cuts across political divisions, with people on different sides of the political spectrum having used language that has generated controversy.
He acknowledged that he had also made comments in the past that some people considered offensive, citing his own remarks about former President Nana Akufo-Addo as an example.
He also referred to controversial expressions previously attributed to President John Dramani Mahama, including the phrase “Akyem mafia”, to illustrate his argument that different political actors have contributed to the broader culture of heated rhetoric.
Mr Kpebu said this was why he believed the issue should be approached through a national dialogue rather than focusing exclusively on individual cases.
He proposed that such a conversation could provide an opportunity for political actors and citizens to agree on acceptable boundaries for public discourse and, ultimately, reduce the level of hostility in political discussions.
His comments come amid an ongoing investigation into the social-media account known as “Ghana Jollof”.
Police have alleged that Barbara Asantewaa Kodua is connected to the account and that she paid individuals, including senior nursing officer Salomey Awiti Bafoh, to help redistribute content. Those allegations form part of an ongoing investigation and have not been established by a court.
Bafoh, a 40-year-old nurse, was remanded for two weeks by the Adentan Circuit Court after pleading not guilty to a charge relating to the alleged publication and circulation of false news. She is expected to return to court on September 30.
Mr Kpebu questioned the effectiveness of relying primarily on detention and prosecution to deal with the wider issue, noting that the “Ghana Jollof” account remained active even while the nurse was in custody.
He argued that the continued activity demonstrated that addressing one individual would not necessarily resolve the broader phenomenon of hostile online political commentary.
The lawyer also described the language associated with the account as particularly intense, while maintaining that the wider culture of political vitriol needed to be confronted collectively.
His proposal comes as public debate continues over the balance between freedom of expression, responsible political communication and the need to prevent speech that authorities consider capable of causing public disorder or violence.
Government Communications Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu has previously said the government can tolerate criticism and insults directed at President Mahama but would not ignore statements it considers capable of inciting violence or threatening public order.
Mr Kpebu’s call for a national conversation therefore adds another dimension to the ongoing debate, with the focus shifting beyond individual cases to the broader standards governing political communication in Ghana.
Source: Thepressradio.com
