President John Dramani Mahama has said insults directed at him do not affect him, saying his long political career has made him resilient to personal attacks.
His comments come after several arrests over hateful and abusive remarks directed at him, fuelling renewed debate over social media regulation and freedom of expression in Ghana.
Speaking to members of the Ghanaian diaspora on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, President Mahama said he had endured insults, vilification and even electoral defeat throughout his political journey.
“As a leader, I don’t mind being insulted. I’ve been insulted, I was vilified, I was voted out of office. So me, this skin is a crocodile skin,” he said.
He stressed that personal attacks would not distract him from what he considers his responsibility to Ghana and Africa.
“So if you insult me, I don’t mind. You insult me, I don’t mind and indeed I’m doing what I can for my country and my continent. I’m doing what I can for Ghana and Africa and I will do what is right,” he added.
President Mahama, however, said his tolerance for insults should not be confused with the need to address wider concerns surrounding social media and new media platforms, particularly TikTok.
“Really, I don’t mind the insults but all of us have to decide what do we want to do with TikTok,” he said.
He called for a broader national conversation to determine how Ghana should regulate new media while protecting freedom of expression.
President Mahama has tasked the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with bringing relevant stakeholders together for a national forum on new media and online content.
The proposed forum comes amid concerns over social media abuse, the spread of harmful content and arrests linked to online posts.
Mahama said the country must collectively determine the appropriate balance between protecting free expression and addressing unlawful or harmful conduct online.
