Why Tribalism on Social Media Is a Ticking Time Bomb

What began as a show of regional supremacy has mutated into bluffing about which king holds the most sovereignty in Ghana.

All this while, there has not been any strong voice calming the teeming youth to be wary of the dangerous terrain they are treading. As Oobakè and Akwaaba took centre stage, the matter has since degenerated into an unbridled exchange of tribal slurs between the two regions: Ashanti and Accra.

Now, after every scroll on TikTok comes an incendiary video of tribal insults from indigenes of these regions throwing jabs at each other. It has been insult upon insult, sometimes decorated in bigoted language and hate-filled phrases, packaged to mean “we are prideful of our king and region” — which entirely is not the case.

One claim generating unpalatable responses was that a King could enter another region and issue an edict to forcefully compel all business activity to halt for the day. There are counter-slurs that cast aspersions on the stature and authenticity of some historical regalia of those perceived as rivals. Among many others, these are eyesores, to say the least.

For now, it may seem funny and everyone appears unperturbed. But it could easily degenerate into what we are not prepared for, as individuals now boldly call into live radio programs to advance these tribal slurs against other ethnicities. Do we need a recap of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide between the Hutus, Tutsis, and Twa, which led to the death of nearly one million people in just 100 days? Surely not.

We must be mindful of sitting on radio and social media (especially Facebook and TikTok) and calling one another “Mmoa” or “Koolo.” This is exactly what extremist Hutu leaders and militia once did over radio, calling Tutsis “Inyenzi” (cockroaches), and inciting ordinary Hutus to kill their Tutsi neighbours and even moderate Hutus.

The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Honourable Samuel Nartey George, needs to monitor the social space more closely and clamp down on these tribal slurs in their early stages. Just as Facebook flags obscene content, tribal slurs in Ghana should be flagged and never entertained.

The Ghana Police must also be concerned and act in line with their mandate to police this growing threat with professionalism, as always.

There is also the need for Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II (King of Ashanti) and King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, Ga Mantse (King of Accra), to speak out against tribalism. Their voices can heal the masses, reaffirming that no ethnic group is superior to another. Their people will then understand that Akwaaba and Oobakè should unite us, not polarize and lead us astray.

To the individuals masterminding this unfortunate situation: know that Ghana is loved, not because a region or a king is perceived as superior to others, but because beyond our diversity and differences, we still regard ourselves as one people and have coexisted peacefully since time immemorial.

It’s now our turn to pass the baton of peace to the next generation, to keep the dictates of the Pledge — that I promise on my honour to be faithful and loyal to Ghana my motherland. Author: ABDUL RAHMAN odoi

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