'Mahama called Akufo-Addo 'Akyem sakawa mafia'; Nana Yaa Jantuah called him Nebuchadnezzar' — Kpebu condemns free speech arrests
Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has criticised the arrest of individuals over alleged insults against President John Dramani Mahama and government officials, arguing that the practice poses concerns for freedom of expression and democratic accountability.
Mr Kpebu claimed that the number of people arrested over alleged offensive comments during President Mahama’s first one-and-a-half years in office already exceeds those recorded throughout the eight-year administration of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He described the development as a poor record for the Mahama administration and urged the government to reconsider its approach to offensive public commentary.
Speaking on TV3’s The Key Points on Saturday, August 8, Mr Kpebu said although insulting public officials was wrong, arrests should not be used as the primary response to such remarks.
“For one and a half years, this current government has arrested more people on matters of free speech than Akufo-Addo's eight years. It is a bad record for John Mahama; they should be careful. Mahama should pay attention,” he said.
He warned that continued arrests over speech-related offences could gradually erode the goodwill enjoyed by the government.
“These things start small, before he realises all the goodwill is gone. Let the people talk. During Akufo-Addo’s tenure, Mahama called him and others 'Akyem sakawa mafia', who arrested him?” he asked.
Mr Kpebu argued that Ghana’s political history contains several examples of public officials and political leaders making harsh comments without facing arrest, saying such tolerance is important for democratic discourse.
He cited remarks attributed to former President Jerry John Rawlings about then-President J.A. Kufuor, as well as comments made by Nana Yaa Jantuah about former President Akufo-Addo, to illustrate his point.
“We said Akufo-Addo was stone-deaf; ‘mampam’ did he arrest me? Nana Yaa Jantuah called Akufo-Addo Nebuchadnezzar; she popularised it, Allow Ghanaians to talk,” he said.
According to Mr Kpebu, authorities could consider other measures, including fines or public condemnation, in dealing with offensive comments rather than routinely resorting to arrests.
He maintained that political leaders must be prepared to tolerate criticism, even when such criticism is harsh, as part of the accountability that comes with public office.
“Late President Jerry John Rawlings called former President J.A. Kufuor while in office a thief. He didn't arrest J.J. You can't shut people down by arrests. I think the government should sit up. As for the insult, there is nothing you can do; it's part of accountability,” he stressed.
His comments come amid heightened political debate over democratic freedoms following the New Patriotic Party’s “Democracy Under Attack” demonstration on Thursday, August 6.
The NPP organised the protest to raise concerns over what it described as threats to the rule of law, constitutional governance and democratic accountability.
The party has also accused the government of political persecution, selective justice and abuse of state institutions, allegations the government has rejected.
Mr Kpebu’s intervention adds to the growing debate over the balance between protecting the dignity of public officials and preserving citizens’ freedom to criticise political leadership.