Freedom of speech without responsibility a threat to democracy – Alhaji Osman

Ghana’s cherished traditions of respect for authority, reverence for elders and decorum in public discourse are facing unprecedented pressure in the digital age, as social media and sections of the traditional media are increasingly being used to denigrate, insult and threaten public officials, religious leaders and custodians of culture.

Alhaji Khuzaima Mohammed Osman, Tafidan Hausa Africa and Europe and Chairman of the Finance and Fundraising Committee of the Greater Accra Regional Peace Council, has warned that the state’s increasing reliance on criminal arrests over offensive speech risks eroding public trust, damaging Ghana’s democratic reputation and undermining the very dignity such measures seek to protect.

He is therefore calling for an urgent policy shift towards decriminalising speech-related offences and replacing custodial measures with substantial civil penalties, including fines and mandatory community service.

He also wants the National and Regional Peace Councils and Traditional Councils to be legally empowered to mediate disputes, sanction offenders and provide civic education rather than having such cases routinely result in police detention.

“Our traditions, cultures, and religions hold a profound, universal truth: we do not support the denigration, insult, or humiliation of public officials, religious leaders, and the traditional custodians of our heritage,” Alhaji Osman told Modern Ghana News in Accra.

“Respect for authority, reverence for elders, and decorum in public discourse are the bedrock of our societal fabric. In our communities, leadership is viewed not just as a political office but as a sacred trust,” he added.

Alhaji Osman called on religious and traditional leaders, civil society organisations, media practitioners and political parties to unite against the use of social media to attack individuals, stressing that abusive conduct should not be justified as free speech.

“That is not free speech, that is abusive speech, which is punishable,” he said.

He expressed particular concern about political communicators who defend abusive or threatening comments against individuals because of their political affiliations.

“When a party communicator goes on radio to justify threats against a chief because he disagrees with his politics, that communicator is teaching the next generation that Ghana’s values are negotiable,” he said.

He urged political parties to adopt and enforce internal codes of conduct that sanction members who engage in or defend the denigration of public officials, traditional leaders and their families.

“Democracy cannot survive if we protect the right to speak and abandon the responsibility to speak eloquently,” he stated.

Criticism versus abuse

Alhaji Osman stressed that his position should not be interpreted as an attempt to shield public officials and leaders from scrutiny.

“Criticism is the lifeblood of democracy. What we are condemning is the descent into abuse, threats, and the targeting of families; there is a difference between saying a policy is bad and saying a leader’s child deserves harm,” he said.

He noted that, for centuries, disagreements with chiefs, imams, pastors and political leaders were traditionally mediated through elders, linguists and other community structures.

“Insult was considered not only a personal offense but also a breach of communal harmony,” he said.

However, he observed that traditional mechanisms are now colliding with the speed and reach of modern communication.

“Facebook Live, TikTok rants, WhatsApp voice notes, radio phone-ins, and partisan blogs now allow an individual to reach millions within minutes,” he said.

According to Alhaji Osman, three major trends are contributing to the growing problem.

The first is the shift from legitimate criticism to personal vilification, with attacks increasingly targeting the character, ethnicity, religion and families of public figures. He said threats against spouses, children and elderly parents had also become increasingly common in online comment sections.

The second is the amplification effect created by traditional media organisations seeking ratings, traffic and engagement. According to him, media houses sometimes replay the most inflammatory clips, turning isolated insults and threats into national talking points.

The third is what he described as the political patronage of bad behaviour.

“A troubling development is the attempt by a section of the political class to defend and even celebrate those who cross the line,” he said.

“When political actors rush to justify abuse in the name of free speech or partisanship, they signal to the public that insults are a legitimate tool of politics; that is how a society normalizes cruelty,” he added.

Rethinking criminal arrests

Alhaji Osman acknowledged that Ghana’s 1992 Constitution guarantees freedom of expression under Article 21, while noting that provisions of the Criminal Offences Act and other laws have been used in cases involving offensive conduct towards the President, chiefs and other public figures.

He argued, however, that the frequent resort to police arrests and criminal detention in such cases is counterproductive.

Although he described the use of “unprintable words” against others as regrettable and deserving of sanctions, he said custodial measures could have unintended consequences.

“The frequent resort to police arrests and criminal detentions for citizens who insult public and traditional leaders is rapidly eroding public trust,” he said.

“Instead of enforcing genuine respect, these actions paint the government as insensitive, intolerant, and fundamentally undemocratic. To the outside observer and the ordinary citizen, it appears as an attempt to curtail the hard-won right to free speech and shrink the civic space.”

He added: “On the contrary, we must all in unity condemn the politically instigated attacks through the door of free speech; it is unacceptable.”

Fines and community service

Alhaji Osman is advocating structured alternatives to custodial punishment, including substantial fines and mandatory community service for individuals whose conduct crosses the line from constructive criticism into defamatory, threatening or abusive speech.

“Financial and civic accountability penalizes wrongdoing effectively. It forces individuals to pay for their indiscretions or give back to the communities they have disrupted, without stripping away their physical liberty,” he explained.

Under his proposed model, a court or legally mandated council could order an offender to pay a fine proportionate to the harm caused and undertake community service.

Such service could include cleaning public spaces, supporting schools or participating in civic education programmes.

The objective, he said, should be to ensure that “justice is corrective rather than vindictive, aligning our legal responses with modern democratic values.”

He also proposed a greater role for peace councils in resolving disputes involving offensive speech.

“Instead of dragging a culprit to a police cell, which often inflames political passions, the peace councils should be legally mandated to invite these individuals for formal counseling, mediation, and civic education,” he said.

Under such a system, offenders could be required to appear before the relevant body, listen to the impact of their conduct, apologise publicly where appropriate and participate in programmes on responsible citizenship and the limits of free expression.

Role of Traditional Councils and media

Alhaji Osman further called for legislation to empower Traditional Councils to play a more active role in addressing abusive conduct.

“Traditional councils should have the legal teeth to penalize and fine media houses and public platforms, including radio, television, and social media networks—where these denigrating incidents are allowed to broadcast,” he stated.

He argued that media and digital platforms have a responsibility to exercise greater editorial control over content that is defamatory, threatening or deliberately humiliating.

According to him, platforms can benefit from sensational content because controversial material often generates increased engagement.

He believes imposing appropriate financial consequences for hosting or promoting abusive content could encourage stronger editorial gatekeeping, higher journalistic standards and greater responsibility across media platforms.

He stressed that such measures should not amount to censorship of legitimate political debate but should instead target defamatory, threatening or deliberately humiliating content, particularly when it involves family members of public officials who do not themselves hold public office.

Alhaji Osman noted that Ghana’s chieftaincy institution remains one of the closest forms of traditional governance to the people, with chiefs playing important roles in resolving disputes, mobilising communities for development and preserving cultural continuity.

He also highlighted the role of religious leaders in shaping moral values and influencing millions of Ghanaians.

“I call on the Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice, the Council of State, the Office of the President, the Ministry of Interior, the Inspector General of Police, and the National Peace Council to act with a human face to stop the threat to our media space with indecent language,” he said.

Protecting Ghana’s democratic reputation

Ghana has earned a reputation as a democratic leader in Africa, characterised by peaceful transfers of power, political pluralism and a vibrant media environment.

Alhaji Osman warned that the manner in which dissent is expressed is increasingly testing that reputation.

He said the issue should not be whether citizens have the right to express disagreement, but whether such disagreements are communicated responsibly and within the limits of the law.

As Ghana navigates economic challenges, political tensions and an increasingly noisy information environment, he urged citizens, political actors, media organisations and leaders to promote responsible public discourse.

“Let us choose the path of wisdom, tradition, and democratic maturity. Our forebears taught us that a house divided by insults cannot stand. A nation that respects its elders, its chiefs, its faith leaders, and its elected officials, while still holding them accountable, is a nation that will endure,” he said.

Alhaji Khuzaima Mohammed Osman is Tafidan Hausa Africa and Europe, an Eminent Member and Chairman of the Finance and Fundraising Committee of the Greater Accra Regional Peace Council, and a Consultant in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Human Rights and Islamic Affairs.

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