Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, says the government can tolerate criticism and insults directed at President John Mahama but will not ignore statements it considers capable of inciting violence or breaching public order.
His comments follow the arrest and remand of senior nursing officer Salomey Awiti Bafoh over her alleged involvement in the publication and circulation of false news through the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account.
Ms Baffoe, 40, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of abetment of crime, to wit, publication of false news, under Sections 20(1) and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The prosecution alleges that she acted as a liaison for Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as “Ghana Jollof”, and helped disseminate videos produced by her by recruiting others to redistribute the content.
Speaking on the Joy FM Super Morning Show on Friday, September 18, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said helping to disseminate what he described as incendiary content could constitute an offence.
“Yes, if you help to spread incendiary content, it is an offence,” he said.
He explained that if someone makes a statement calling for the overthrow of the government and another person helps to disseminate it, law enforcement authorities could intervene.
The Minister, however, stressed that the court would ultimately determine whether Ms Baffoe is guilty of the charges.
‘We do not fear criticism’
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the government’s concern was not with vulgar language, personal attacks or criticism of the President but with statements that could incite violence or threaten public order.
He said the government was not interested in suppressing criticism of President Mahama or his administration.
“President Mahama or his government is not concerned about criticism. We do not fear criticism,” he said.
According to him, politicians understand that criticism is part of public life and that not everything said about them will be pleasant.
“All of us are hard-nosed politicians who have been in this game for decades.
So we understand fully that people will always have their say.
It is not everything they say that will be pleasant, but we can live with it,” he said.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said there was a distinction between insulting the President or criticising government and making statements that could potentially breach the peace.
He added that law enforcement agencies had a responsibility to investigate statements that could amount to threats or incitement, regardless of which political party was in government.
The Minister rejected suggestions that Ms Baffoh was simply an innocent nurse caught up in the controversy surrounding the “Ghana Jollof” account.
He said information available to government indicated that investigations had established a connection between Ms Baffoh and the account.
“The nurse in question is believed to be a promoter of Ghana Jollof’s conduct,” he said.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu added that investigators had found what they considered to be a close link between Ms Baffoh and the account and were investigating the extent of her involvement.
He also said he had seen aspects of the evidence gathered by investigators and described it as substantial.
