President John Dramani Mahama says he is not personally concerned about insults directed at him, but believes Ghana needs a broader national conversation on how to regulate social media platforms without undermining freedom of expression.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, President Mahama addressed concerns over the arrest of individuals accused of making insulting or threatening comments about public officials on platforms such as TikTok.
He said the emergence of new media has created challenges for countries worldwide, particularly regarding the spread of information and the need to protect information integrity.
“There’s a new media called TikTok and it’s not only Ghana where people are wondering what to do to regulate TikTok because in all countries all over the world they are wondering what to do to make sure that we have information integrity even with TikTok.”
According to the President, the platform allows individuals to publish content directly to large audiences, with algorithms capable of amplifying such content rapidly.
He said he personally has developed a thick skin towards criticism and insults.
“As a leader, I don’t mind being insulted. I’ve been insulted, I was vilified, I was voted out of office. So for me, this skin is a crocodile skin. So if you insult me, I don’t mind.”
Mahama questions some arrests
President Mahama said he is sometimes unaware of arrests linked to social media comments until he learns about them through the media.
He expressed concern about some of the reasons given for the arrests, particularly where the conduct involved insults rather than threats or other potentially criminal behaviour.
“A lot of these arrests I don’t even know about them. I also hear them on the media. Somebody has been tracked and arrested and all that and sometimes it worries me because sometimes the reason for which the person has been arrested, really, I mean they say he’s insulted me and you look at the insult and it can’t be quoted for the person to be arrested.”
He said the issue should not be left solely to law enforcement agencies and called for a national stakeholder discussion involving media and civil society organisations.
President Mahama said the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) should bring relevant stakeholders together to determine how Ghana should respond to harmful content on emerging digital platforms.
The President had earlier asked the two organisations to lead a national stakeholder engagement on hate speech, abusive language and harmful online content, with the proposed discussions expected to examine the distinction between lawful criticism and unlawful speech.
“What we should do is, Ghana Journalists Association, you saw the letter from my executive secretary, Media Foundation for West Africa, bring all the stakeholders together and hold a workshop or a forum and let’s all collectively take a decision on what we want to do with the new media.”
He said the discussions should also consider whether the police should intervene in certain cases and how such interventions should be handled.
Mahama draws line between insults and threats
The President acknowledged that there are circumstances where online statements could warrant police intervention, particularly where they involve threats of violence.
He cited a hypothetical threat against US President Donald Trump as an example of conduct that would likely trigger law enforcement action.
His comments come amid growing debate in Ghana over arrests and prosecutions linked to social media content. The MFWA has documented several cases involving TikTok users accused of making offensive, threatening or allegedly false statements about public officials.
The organisation has also argued that custodial sentences for speech-related offences are not appropriate responses to offensive online speech, while maintaining that threats and inciting content should be addressed.
President Mahama’s latest comments add to the ongoing discussion about finding a balance between freedom of expression and measures to address threats, incitement and other unlawful online conduct.
By:Rachael Djabakie