Kpebu calls for national dialogue on political insults in Ghana

Lawyer Martin Kpebu has called for a nationwide dialogue in Ghana on the spread of political insults. In his view, arrests, criminal prosecutions and imprisonment alone will not solve the problem of aggressive rhetoric in the public sphere.

As MyJoyOnline reports, Kpebu spoke on Joy FM’s Top Story programme amid a dispute surrounding the Ghana Jollof TikTok account. According to him, insulting language has at different times been used by representatives of various political forces and commentators, so the problem requires a joint solution.

Proposal on political rhetoric

Kpebu said a national conversation could help politicians and citizens agree on the boundaries of what is acceptable in political discussions and declare a truce in mutual insults. He also acknowledged that he had previously used statements about former president Nana Akufo-Addo that some might have considered insulting.

The lawyer noted that posts linked to the Ghana Jollof account stood out for particularly aggressive rhetoric. At the same time, he stressed that holding people associated with the account accountable would not necessarily stop the broader phenomenon of political hostility online.

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Case concerning content distribution

Police claim that Barbara Asantewaa Koduah is the alleged operator of the Ghana Jollof account and allegedly paid Salome Aviti Bafo and other people to distribute videos. These claims are part of an investigation and have not been established by a court.

Bafo, a 40-year-old senior nurse, was remanded in custody for two weeks by the Adentan court after pleading not guilty to a charge of abetment of crime — the alleged publication and dissemination of false news. The next hearing in her case is scheduled for September 30. According to the prosecution, Bafo acted as an intermediary for Koduah and helped recruit people to distribute the materials.

Kpebu questioned the appropriateness of keeping Bafo in custody, saying investigators could have used less restrictive measures, including seizing and examining her phone. NPP candidate Mahamudu Bawumia called the circumstances of her arrest and remand troubling and urged her release, while also speaking out against political insults. Minister of Government Communications Felix Kwakye Ofosu said the authorities would not ignore statements that, in their view, could incite violence or disturb public order.

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