President John Dramani Mahama asks state institutions to avoid disproportionate arrests for political commentary and calls for a national stakeholder engagement to draw a balanced roadmap on online speech.
Mahama’s office warns that arresting people for criticism risks creating ‘undeserving martyrs’ and eroding trust in state institutions.
The President wants a national stakeholder meeting — led by MFWA and GJA — to clarify the line between lawful criticism and unlawful speech online.
Participants will include media bodies, law enforcement, civil society, legal experts, digital platforms and content creators to produce practical guidelines and a national roadmap.
President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned state institutions against making disproportionate arrests over criticism and politically charged commentary. The warning comes in a letter signed by the Secretary to the President, Dr Callistus Mahama, requesting that the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) organise a national stakeholder engagement.
The President's office says hate speech, threats, incitement and other unlawful conduct must be addressed. At the same time, it argues that legitimate criticism, political commentary, satire and dissent should not be criminalised. The government's key concern is that heavy-handed arrests over mere criticism could backfire by creating "undeserving martyrs" and weakening public confidence in state institutions.
What the proposed stakeholder engagement will do
The engagement is intended to produce a coherent national roadmap that balances freedom of expression with proportionate responses to genuinely harmful digital content. Specific topics listed for the discussions include:
The meeting is expected to bring together a wide range of actors: the National Media Commission, the Ghana Police Service, civil society organisations, traditional media, religious bodies, content creators, bloggers and influencers. Legal and human-rights experts, representatives of digital platforms, and relevant regulatory and security institutions are also expected to take part.
The proposal responds to tensions between state agencies' duty to prevent harm and public demands that dissenting views and political commentary remain protected. By seeking a multi-stakeholder process, the President's office signals a preference for negotiated, practical solutions over unilateral enforcement actions that could escalate distrust.
The immediate next step is for MFWA and GJA to convene the stakeholder meeting requested by the President's office. Expected outputs include practical guidelines for law enforcement, educational materials on digital literacy, recommendations on ethical standards for creators, and a draft national roadmap outlining proportionate responses to online harm while safeguarding legitimate expression.
Ghana: one that targets genuinely harmful conduct without criminalising ordinary political criticism or satire, and that seeks to preserve public confidence in state institutions through proportional responses.
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