Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has dismissed claims that the government is seeking to undermine freedom of expression in Ghana. His comments come amid growing concerns about what some critics describe as threats to the country’s democratic freedoms, following incidents including the recent arrest of Techiman-based nurse Salomey Baffoe Awiti.
Speaking at the launch of the 30th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Media Awards, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said a clear distinction must be made between legitimate criticism and criminal conduct. He explained that the government had taken action against individuals who allegedly used social media to spread hate speech and inflame tensions in areas affected by conflict.
“Last year, we began to notice the activities of individuals who were using hate speech to foment trouble in areas of conflict. These are people who took to social media to run commentary that had the potential to deepen conflicts that were raging in certain parts of the country, so law enforcement used technology available to them to clamp down on such activities,” he said.
According to the minister, there are several examples across Africa where inflammatory speech has contributed to serious conflicts and even genocide. “Africa is littered with examples of how speech like that led to serious genocide and conflict. And it will be derelict on the part of law enforcement to sit and not do anything about people who abuse the space of social media to engage in these sorts of activities,” he added.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu stressed that the government would not restrict legitimate freedom of expression, insisting that unlawful conduct must, however, be treated differently. “Also, a clear distinction must be struck between free speech and criminal conduct. Under no circumstances will the government of President John Dramani Mahama curb free speech,” he said.
