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The John Mahama administration is facing sharp criticism from former Information Minister and Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, over a proposed draft speech bill, which he warns could dangerously roll back Ghana’s democratic freedoms. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah, a member of the minority caucus has described the draft legislation — reportedly aimed at regulating speech and social media activity — as “dangerous” and “contrary to Ghana’s democratic progress.” “To say that what we are seeing appears to be a draft, and that they want to consult on that draft, is one thing. But from what I have seen as a former Information Minister, this draft is dangerous. And let me explain why it’s not surprising,” he noted. He argued that the President himself had earlier hinted at such intentions. “It’s not surprising because I think the President first announced that they were going to use the national security apparatus to go after people who make comments on social media that they consider, for whatever reason, whether under the guise of hate speech or any other justification, to be unfavorable,” he said. According to the Ofoase-Ayirebi lawmaker, the President’s earlier remarks about tracking IP addresses and involving security agencies to clamp down on online speech are now taking shape through this draft bill. “The President himself said it. So, it’s not surprising that his Minister is now following up with a draft bill containing such wild provisions,” he remarked. Mr. Oppong Nkrumah stressed that the global trend is toward decriminalizing speech, not criminalizing it. “Over the past few decades, various countries have been moving away from using criminal law to deal with speech. They have been decriminalizing speech. There are other remedies for speech that may be deemed unfavorable — most of them civil — but not necessarily criminalizing it,” he said. He recalled that the repeal of the Criminal Libel and Sedition Law under the Kufuor administration marked a major milestone in Ghana’s democratic journey. However, he lamented that some outdated provisions remain in the country’s laws. “For instance, the law on the publication of false news with intent to cause fear and panic is one of those outdated provisions that still needs to be repealed. Instead of repealing such laws to advance democratic freedoms, the government is now seeking, through this draft it wants to consult on, to enact legislation that would make it possible for individuals to be jailed for merely posting comments in chat groups that the authorities deem offensive according to their own criteria,” he said. Calling the move “an encroachment on the right to free speech,” Mr. Oppong Nkrumah urged the Mahama administration to reconsider its approach. “I think this is very dangerous. The government must tread cautiously. I am hopeful that when consultations begin, the government will see wisdom in backtracking and ensuring that, rather than further criminalizing speech, even the remaining laws that do so are finally repealed,” he concluded. Asaase Broadcasting Company airs on Asaase 99.5 Accra, Asaase 98.5 Kumasi, Asaase 99.7 Tamale, Asaase 100.3 Cape Coast, AsaasePa 107.3 (Accra). Affiliates: Bawku FM 101.5, Bead FM 99.9 (Bimbilla), Mining City Radio 89.5 (Tarkwa), Nandom FM 101.9, Nyatefe Radio 94.5 (Dzodze), Sissala Radio 96.3 (Tumu), Somuaa FM 89.9 (Gushegu), Stone City 90.7 (Ho) and Wale FM 106.9 (Walewale). Listen online: asaaseradio.com, Sound Garden and TuneIn. X: @asaaseradio995, @Asaase985ksi, @Asaase997tamale, @asaase1003, asaasepa1073 Instagram: asaaseradio99.5, asaase985ksi, asaase100.3, asaase99.7tamale, asaasepa107.3 LinkedIn: company/asaaseradio995. TikTok: @asaaseradio99.5 Facebook: asaase99.5, asaase985ksi, Asaase100.3, asaase99.7, AsaasePa107.3. YouTube: AsaaseRadioXtra. Join the conversation. Accra: call 020 000 9951/054 888 8995, WhatsApp 020 000 0995. Kumasi: call 059 415 7985 or call/WhatsApp 020 631 5260. Tamale: call/WhatsApp/SMS 053 554 6468. Cape Coast: call/WhatsApp 059 388 2652. #AsaaseRadio #TheVoiceofOurLand
