President John Dramani Mahama has said personal insults directed at him do not concern him, drawing on his political experience to explain why he remains unfazed by attacks.
Speaking to members of the Ghanaian diaspora on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, President Mahama recalled being vilified and losing power during his political career.
“As a leader, I don’t mind being insulted. I’ve been insulted, I was vilified, I was voted out of office. So me, this skin is a crocodile skin,” he said.
He said such attacks would not distract him from his responsibilities to Ghana and Africa.
“So if you insult me, I don’t mind. You insult me, I don’t mind and indeed I’m doing what I can for my country and my continent. I’m doing what I can for Ghana and Africa and I will do what is right,” he added.
However, President Mahama expressed concern about people who use anonymous accounts to post what he described as offensive material online.
“I don’t mind if people show their face and own what they are saying but there are some who are hiding and they just put something there and behind it they say the most vile things,” he said.
He said the broader challenge was for Ghana to determine how best to regulate new media while protecting freedom of expression.
President Mahama has tasked the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with bringing relevant stakeholders together for a national forum on new media, including issues surrounding online content and regulation.
The proposed forum comes amid growing debate over social media regulation and arrests linked to online posts.
Mahama has previously questioned whether some arrests over alleged insults are proportionate, saying the country needs a broader conversation on where to draw the line between free expression and unlawful online conduct.
