Source: Citi Newsroom
The Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has rejected claims that the government is undermining freedom of expression.
His comments come amid concerns over what some have described as threats to Ghana’s democratic freedoms, including the recent arrest of a nurse in Techiman, Salomey Baffoe Awiti.
Speaking at the launch of the 30th GJA Media Awards, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said there must be a clear distinction between criminality and legitimate criticism.
“Sometime last year, we began to notice the activities of individuals who were using hate speech to foment trouble in areas of conflict. These are people who took to social media to run commentary that had the potential to deepen conflicts that were raging in certain parts of the country, so law enforcement used technology available to them to clamp down on such activities.
“Africa is littered with examples of how speech like that led to serious genocide and conflict. And it will be derelict on the part of law enforcement to sit and not do anything about people who abuse the space of social media to engage in these sorts of activities.
“Also, a clear distinction must be struck between free speech and criminal conduct. Under no circumstances will the government of President John Dramani Mahama curb free speech.”