Shatta Wale asks Mahama to back balanced law on online abuse and defamation

Pinned summary · as of 04:40

Musician Shatta Wale, whose legal name is Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr., has written to President John Dramani Mahama asking for a balanced approach to defamation, harassment and abuse online. The letter is dated 28 September and follows Mr Mahama's remarks on social media at a meeting with Ghanaians in New York.

What we know

• Speaking to Ghanaians living in New York on 25 September, President Mahama voiced unease over false information, insults and other damaging material on TikTok and similar platforms. He asked for a national conversation about how such platforms ought to be regulated.
• Mr Mahama wants a wider discussion on governing new media, to be hosted by two media bodies, the GJA and the MFWA, and asked whether police should play a part.
• Mr Mahama also voiced concern about arrests tied to social media posts, saying some of the reasons given for them troubled him.
• Shatta Wale said Ghana's answer to online abuse should weigh accountability against constitutional freedoms. He wants clear laws, due process and independent judicial oversight, developed jointly by Parliament, the courts, security agencies, media institutions and civil society, and limited to serious and proven misconduct.
• He argued that ridicule and unverified allegations predate social media, since they grew from parts of entertainment commentary before platforms magnified them by letting anyone reach a large audience fast. He added that chiefs, business people, journalists, officials and ordinary citizens now suffer similar abuse.
• Shatta Wale said the 1992 Constitution's guarantees of free speech and media freedom must stay in place, but should not excuse threats, harassment or knowingly spreading damaging falsehoods. He also asked for explicit protection for criticism, journalism, satire and political expression.
• He proposed that platforms operating in Ghana tighten account verification, possibly using the Ghana Card and SIM registration, and obey lawful court orders that unmask accounts once harassment or defamation is proven. He cautioned against forcing every user to give up anonymity.
• On penalties, he said any conduct Parliament chooses to criminalise should draw proportionate sanctions, and that jail terms capped at a month might be weighed in suitable cases, aimed at deterrence and correction.
• He warned lawmakers to avoid recreating criminal libel, which Ghana repealed in 2001, and urged civic education about responsible conduct online together with early consultation with the creative industry.
• Shatta Wale said he wants to restore responsibility to public discussion without silencing citizens, and that he is ready to join further talks on the matter.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  MyJoyOnline reported that Mr Mahama said he does not mind being insulted personally. No other report carried this remark.
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  Pulse Ghana reported that the stakeholder process Mr Mahama has in mind would also draw in the police, legal and human-rights experts and content creators. This has not been confirmed by other reports.
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  YEN.com.gh reported that Salomey Awity Bafoh, a senior nursing officer, was detained by police over suspected ties to Ghana Jollof, an anonymous TikTok account, and that the High Court in Accra denied her bail, citing continuing investigations and a risk to evidence. The report adds that police want to find Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, believed to run the account. Ms Bafoh has not been convicted, and no other report has carried these details.
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  YEN.com.gh also listed other 2026 cases: three TikTok users, Juiscy Vibez, Bawumia Ba and Mamaone, were picked up by police, and Camilla Alhassan received a one-year jail term for spreading false news about Mr Mahama. No other report has confirmed this.
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  ZionFelix reported that copies of Shatta Wale's letter went to five bodies: Parliament's Speaker, the Chief Justice, the Interior Minister, the police chief and the National Media Commission. Only ZionFelix mentions who received it.
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  GhanaWeekend described the letter as containing seven proposals, while other reports did not give a count; the number rests on GhanaWeekend alone.
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  OmanGhana reported that Shatta Wale sees social media as a livelihood and a space for ordinary people to question leaders, backs action against targeted harassment, and wants authorities to separate abusive behaviour from lawful opinion. These points have not been confirmed by other reports.

Why it matters for Ghana

Any new rules on online speech would affect everyone in Ghana who posts, comments or shares on TikTok, WhatsApp and similar platforms, as well as journalists and entertainers who work in the public eye. The proposals touch a sensitive line between protecting people from abuse and protecting free expression, which Ghana settled in law when it repealed criminal libel in 2001. The stakeholder talks Mr Mahama has asked for could shape how far police and the courts are involved.