The Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has expressed grave concern over what he describes as the increasingly intemperate character of Ghana’s national discourse.
Speaking on Tuesday after summoning Members of Parliament for an extraordinary meeting, the Speaker noted that while there are important constitutional and procedural matters arising from the circumstances under which the meeting was convened, it had become necessary to draw the attention of the House to an issue that transcends their immediate business.
“This matter concerns the increasingly intemperate character of our national discourse and particularly the growing incidence of abusive, insulting, threatening and hate speech in our public discourse,” Rt Hon Bagbin stated, emphasizing that the tone of public conversations in the country should concern all members.
The Speaker acknowledged that the expansion of social media and digital platforms has undoubtedly enlarged the democratic space, granting citizens unprecedented opportunities to participate in national conversations, criticize public officials, expose wrongdoing, and demand accountability. He stressed that the gains made in Ghana’s democratic discourse must be protected, adding that freedom of speech and expression, including press freedom, is guaranteed by the Constitution, with political disagreement, satire, dissent, and vigorous debate remaining essential features of a democratic society.
However, Speaker Bagbin cautioned against rewarding abusive and bitter language, warning that doing so encourages others to adopt similar conduct to gain recognition.
“Don’t reward only bitter terms. That is what I have observed up to date. That encourages others to copy that because that is how they will be recognized. We are not going to entertain that anymore,” he warned.
“Members, democracy has been hard won. We should never assume that democratic stability perpetuates itself. Democracy is sustained not only by constitutions, elections, courts and parliaments. It is also sustained by discipline and decency and a political culture in which citizens can disagree profoundly without ceasing to recognize each other’s humanity and equal citizenship. Honourable members, language matters and I’m happy that you are all spiritual.”
In line with safeguarding the nation’s democratic stability, Rt Hon Bagbin backed President John Dramani Mahama’s call for a national stakeholder engagement on hate speech and abusive online content. The Speaker revealed that he has taken note of the President’s charge to the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA).
“Taking note of the recent call by His Excellency the President on the Ghana Journalist Association and the Media Foundation for West Africa to convene a national stakeholder engagement on hate speech, abusive online content and responsible digital communication, I have noted also that the call by His Excellency the President has received a lot of support from across the nation and beyond, from senior citizens across the political divide, expressing serious concern about this development. I have them and I can give them as evidence. I believe that the call is timely and deserves the support of all persons and institutions committed to the preservation of our democracy.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana