The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has expressed support for President John Dramani Mahama’s call for a national dialogue on hate speech and abusive online content. He described the President’s call as timely and necessary to protect Ghana’s democratic culture. According to Mr. Bagbin, the proposed national stakeholder engagement should bring together relevant institutions and stakeholders to examine the growing incidence of abusive, insulting, threatening, and hateful speech in the country.
President Mahama had directed the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to convene the engagement to address hate speech, abusive online content, and responsible digital communication. The initiative aims to develop a national roadmap that tackles harmful content while protecting freedom of expression. Mr. Bagbin made these remarks while addressing Parliament in Accra on Friday, September 29.
The Speaker emphasized that the increasing intensity of public discourse should concern all Ghanaians, particularly at a time when social media has expanded the democratic space and given citizens unprecedented opportunities to participate in national affairs. He acknowledged that digital platforms have enabled citizens to express opinions, criticize public officials, expose wrongdoing, and demand accountability. However, he noted that freedom of speech and expression should not be interpreted as a license for the degradation of public discourse.
Mr. Bagbin expressed concern that disagreements are increasingly being communicated through insults, personal attacks, ethnic insinuations, threats, and allegations repeated without regard to their truth or consequences. He urged Parliament to become an active participant in the national dialogue, directing the appropriate committees, particularly the Human Rights Committee, to exercise their oversight responsibilities. The Speaker also called on Parliament to examine the adequacy of Ghana’s existing legal and institutional framework for dealing with abusive and harmful speech.
The Speaker turned the spotlight on Parliament itself, saying MPs cannot credibly demand responsible speech from journalists, broadcasters, bloggers, content creators, and other citizens without first examining their own conduct. He expressed concern that some language used by MPs, both inside and outside Parliament, has fallen below the standards expected of elected representatives. Mr. Bagbin urged the leadership of both political parties to discourage the elevation or reward of individuals whose public prominence is based on abusive language.
The Speaker emphasized that Ghana’s democratic stability should not be taken for granted, stressing that democracy is sustained not only by constitutions, elections, courts, and Parliament but also by discipline, decency, and a political culture that allows citizens to disagree without denying one another their humanity and equal citizenship. He warned that the cumulative effect of language and conduct could push the country towards a precipice from which it becomes increasingly difficult to retreat.
The President’s proposed national engagement has gathered attention, with the Presidency calling for participation by institutions, including the National Media Commission, religious bodies, security agencies, civil society organizations, traditional media organizations, bloggers, influencers, and social media content creators. Mr. Bagbin concluded by calling on MPs and political actors on both sides of the House to moderate their language and demonstrate that firmness of political conviction does not have to be accompanied by disrespect.
Key points
- The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, supports President John Mahama's call for a national dialogue on hate speech and abusive online content.
- The proposed national stakeholder engagement aims to develop a national roadmap that tackles harmful content while protecting freedom of expression.
- The Speaker urged Parliament to become an active participant in the national dialogue and examine the adequacy of Ghana’s existing legal and institutional framework for dealing with abusive and harmful speech.
