Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has cautioned the John Mahama administration against relying on arrests to respond to insults and other offensive comments directed at the President and government officials.
According to Mr Kpebu, the number of people arrested over issues relating to free speech during President Mahama’s first one-and-a-half years in office already exceeds the arrests recorded throughout the eight-year administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He described the development as a worrying record for the current government and urged President Mahama to pay closer attention to the implications for public confidence and democratic freedoms.
Speaking on TV3’s Key Points on Saturday, August 8, Mr Kpebu said government must tolerate criticism and offensive political commentary rather than resorting to arrests.
“For one and a half years, this current government has arrested more people on matters of free speech than Akufo-Addo’s eight years. It is a bad record for John Mahama; they should be careful.”
‘Let people talk’
Mr Kpebu acknowledged that insulting public officials was wrong but argued that criminal arrests should not become the state’s standard response to such comments.
He pointed to examples of harsh political language used against previous governments without resulting in arrests, arguing that public criticism is part of democratic accountability.
He cited former President Mahama’s description of Akufo-Addo and others as the “Akyem sakawa mafia” and said no arrests followed those comments.
He also referenced remarks by Nana Yaa Jantuah and the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, who, according to him, used strong language against political leaders without being arrested.
“Let the people talk,” Mr Kpebu said, arguing that authorities should explore alternatives such as fines or other appropriate measures rather than arresting people for offensive speech.
Call for national discussion
The lawyer called for a broader national conversation on how Ghana should deal with insulting or offensive political commentary while protecting freedom of expression.
He warned that excessive arrests could gradually erode the goodwill enjoyed by an administration and create the perception that the state is intolerant of criticism.
His comments come amid heightened political tensions following the NPP’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration on August 6, which the opposition party said was aimed at defending constitutional governance, the rule of law and democratic accountability.
The NPP has accused the Mahama administration of political persecution, selective justice and abuse of state institutions. The government has rejected those allegations.
