A former United Nations Senior Governance Advisor, Professor Baffour Agyemang-Duah, has expressed strong support for President John Dramani Mahama’s personal views on the responsible exercise of freedom of speech, particularly in the face of persistent insults and abuses on social media.
Speaking on Starr News on Monday, September 28, 2026, Professor Agyemang-Duah said he agreed with the President and welcomed the measures being considered to address the issue.
“I think the president expressed his, uh, personal views on this, and which I agree. Uh, and at least I’m happy that he’s taking measures to find a way to deal with it,” he stated.
He noted that the problem of unchecked insults and abusive commentary has persisted for several years.
Drawing on the President’s remarks, he stressed that freedom of speech does not grant a licence to insult others and must be exercised with responsibility.
“You know, this has been going on for a number of years and I think like the president intimated, uh, freedom of speech is not a license to really, really insult some people. And, uh, freedom of speech is exercised responsibly,” he said.
Professor Agyemang-Duah highlighted that the repeal of criminal libel laws does not open the door to unrestricted verbal attacks.
“So the repeal of the criminal, libel under criminal law does not mean that, we have a license to simply go round and then insult people,” he said.
He added that civil defamation suits often fail to deliver satisfactory outcomes, allowing the problem to continue unchecked.
He expressed satisfaction that the issue has now drawn sufficient public attention for the President to propose steps to curb it.
Invoking a familiar proverb, he warned of the consequences of inaction.
“You know, there’s a saying that, uh, when these things happen and you don’t control it, the chickens are coming home, they will certainly come home to roast. And that’s what we’re experiencing right now,” he added.
The situation, he argued, has become untenable.
“So, I think we need to find a way, I agree with the president, because it’s untenable. That individuals, whoever they are, because if you’re not careful, we’re going to use this medium, social media, to constantly rage abuses, and I don’t think that should be entertained as part of our political culture. If we do it, then I’m afraid we are condoning a character that is unbecoming of…,” he added.
Professor Agyemang-Duah’s comes come amid ongoing national discussion about the boundaries of free expression in Ghana’s digital space, following the President’s recent remarks on the challenges posed by platforms such as TikTok and the need for collective decisions on regulation while upholding constitutional freedoms.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
