Speaker Bagbin urges MPs and party leaders to curb insults in public debate

Pinned summary · as of 15:39

Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin used an emergency sitting in Accra on Tuesday, 29 September, to appeal for more restraint in how Ghanaians argue in public. He said abusive, threatening and hateful language, much of it on social media, has become a worry for the whole country, and he turned the spotlight on MPs and party leaders.

What we know

• Mr Bagbin told the House on Tuesday, 29 September, that insults, threats and hate speech are spreading, particularly on digital platforms, and that this trend should trouble every Ghanaian.
• He accepted that social media has widened the space for democratic participation, letting citizens air opinions, question officials, expose wrongdoing and press for accountability, but said the constitutional guarantee of free expression does not excuse a decline in the quality of public debate.
• The Speaker said disagreement, criticism and satire are legitimate in a democracy, yet more and more of it is delivered as abuse rather than reasoned argument. “But insult is not argument. Abuse is not scrutiny,” he said.
• Turning to the House itself, Mr Bagbin said that MPs shape how the rest of the country speaks, and that Parliament cannot credibly ask journalists, bloggers and ordinary citizens for responsible speech while its own members fall short. He also said some MPs have used language unbecoming of elected representatives.
• He also called on the leaders of political parties to stop giving prominence to members who become known for abusive and inflammatory language, saying that such recognition prompts others to imitate them.
• Mr Bagbin cautioned that a steady flow of inflammatory language could deepen divisions in society, and he urged political leaders to set an example through their own conduct.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Graphic Online reported that the Speaker backed President John Dramani Mahama's proposed national conversation about hate speech and abusive material online, adding that it should be inclusive and should not be used to stifle dissent or shield officials from criticism. Other reports have not mentioned this.
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  According to Graphic Online, the President had asked the Ghana Journalists Association and the Media Foundation for West Africa to convene that national stakeholder engagement, and Mr Bagbin urged Parliament to take part and told committees, the Human Rights Committee in particular, to use their oversight powers on public discourse. This has not been confirmed by other reports.
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  Graphic Online said Mr Bagbin objected to remarks by Dr Abdul Kabiru Tia Mahama, the MP for Walewale, who had described the August recall of Parliament as rude, and asked him to withdraw the word and apologise. The paper reported that Dr Tia Mahama withdrew it, saying with hindsight it should not have been used. No other report has confirmed the exchange.
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  Graphic Online reported that the sitting followed a petition from the Minority Caucus asking the Speaker to recall the House and set up a bipartisan committee on recent cocaine seizures linked to Ghana. The other reports do not mention the petition.

Why it matters for Ghana

The Speaker's remarks land as Ghanaians argue fiercely on radio, in WhatsApp groups and on social media, and journalists, bloggers and content creators are among those he said should not be left to carry the burden of civility alone. What Parliament and the parties do with his call will affect how safe ordinary citizens feel when they criticise public officials online, and how much room politicians give each other for disagreement without personal attacks.