Ghana needs national dialogue to end political insult culture — Kpebu

Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has called for a national dialogue on Ghana’s growing culture of political insults, arguing that arrests and prosecutions alone will not resolve the problem. Speaking on Joy FM’s Top Story, Mr Kpebu said the controversy surrounding the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account had exposed a broader problem with political discourse in the country that required collective action. “The first thing I’m curious about is that we all want this menace of insults against politicians and other people in society to stop.

That culture of vitriol, we want to control the vitriol. It’s getting out of hand,” he said. Mr Kpebu acknowledged that the problem cuts across Ghana’s political divide, saying political actors and commentators on different sides have at various times used language that could be considered offensive.

He cited his own past comments as an example. “Even me talking to you, for saying Akufo-Addo is ‘manpam,’ which is a song by a musician sung against him to hold him accountable — people say that my hands are also soiled,” he said. He also referred to remarks previously made by President John Dramani Mahama, including his use of the phrase “Akyem mafia” and an occasion when he said the President jabbed him.

“So it appears we’ve all soiled our hands one way or another. That’s how come I thought that look, this thing is not about handcuffs and police cells and trials. It’s about a national conversation,” he said.

Mr Kpebu said such a conversation could provide an opportunity for political actors and citizens to agree on limits to abusive political discourse. “So that when we have the national conversation, we’ll call a truce,” he added. Mr Kpebu acknowledged that the content associated with the “Ghana Jollof” account had been particularly aggressive.

Nobody has more vitriol than her,” he said. “The moment I saw that her vitriol is higher, the speed at which she launches the insults, the other guys can’t match her, I said no, let’s do a national conversation.” He said Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, who is identified by police as the alleged operator of the account, had previously indicated that she would stop if another prominent commentator, Kevin Taylor, was restrained. “She has stated clearly that if we can rein in Kevin Taylor, she would stop.