Serwaa Amihere said buy what you can afford, and some declared a state of emergency!

There is something uniquely fascinating about Ghanaian public discourse. Tell someone the truth, and instead of reflecting on it, they will first investigate your motives, inspect your handbag, examine your past, consult your enemies and, if necessary, summon your exes to a press conference.

Welcome to the great national debate over Serwaa Amihere’s advice to young women on counterfeit designer fashion.

Serwaa simply advised women not to rush into buying fake luxury products to create an impression of wealth. Her message was straightforward: wear what you can afford today, work hard, improve your circumstances and buy the expensive things when you can genuinely afford them.

That was all.

But apparently, in a country where some people believe that looking successful is more important than becoming successful, this innocent advice amounted to a declaration of war.

Enter the critics!

Suddenly, a discussion about financial discipline has become a referendum on Serwaa’s personality. Mona Gucci has defended women who wear knock-offs, arguing that people should wear what they can afford. Fair enough. Nobody should be bullied for wearing affordable clothing. But is Serwaa actually bullying anybody? Did she confiscate someone's handbag? Did she establish a fashion police unit at Kotoka International Airport? Did she propose legislation criminalising imitation designer shoes?

She offered an opinion. People are free to disagree. That is how constructive public discourse works.

The real question is whether her advice was sensible. And frankly, it was.

There is nothing wrong with wearing affordable clothes. There is also nothing wrong with aspiring to own authentic luxury items. What makes little sense is sacrificing financial stability to maintain an image that your bank account cannot support. Worse still, why spend money pretending to own a product when that same money could help build the life you actually desire?

Serwaa was not saying that every woman must own a Birkin bag. She was saying that a woman does not need a counterfeit Birkin bag to prove her worth.

Apparently, that distinction is too sophisticated for some of our professional outrage merchants.

I listened to the viral video more than three times after a lady drew my attention to it. I listened carefully, hoping to discover the great offence that had provoked so much anger. Unfortunately, I found no insult, no personal attack and no campaign against poor women. I found advice about patience, ambition and financial growth.

Perhaps I missed the offensive part. Or perhaps the offence exists only in the imagination of people who have mistaken disagreement for disrespect.

Serwaa Amihere has worked to establish herself as a media personality and legal practitioner. Whatever one's personal opinion of her, her journey deserves recognition. She has a platform, and she has chosen to use it to advise younger women. That is not a crime. Indeed, we should encourage public figures to share lessons from their experiences rather than demand that they remain silent for fear of offending somebody.

Of course, nobody is above criticism. Serwaa is not. But criticism must engage the substance of what a person says. It should not become an excuse to attack their character, speculate about their motives or drag unrelated personal matters into a conversation about shoes and handbags.

Can Serwaa Amihere’s so-called ex-boyfriend learn to keep quiet instead of commenting on every issue involving her? It is embarrassing for a grown man to turn every controversy surrounding a woman he once dated into an opportunity to seek relevance. A failed relationship should not become a lifetime licence to interfere in a woman’s public life. If he disagrees with Serwaa, he should address her arguments intelligently rather than use every opportunity to insert himself into her affairs.

What example is he setting for his children? Is this the maturity he wants them to emulate? Real men understand that not every conversation requires their contribution, and masculinity is not demonstrated by involving oneself in every discussion about women. Sometimes, silence is the clearest evidence of maturity. Serwaa should be allowed to express her views without unnecessary personal drama from people who ought to have moved on. He should grow up, preserve his dignity and learn to mind his own business.

To the critics, here is a modest proposal: the next time Serwaa speaks, try examining her argument before examining her life. If she is wrong, explain why. If she is right, have the courage to admit it. You do not have to like someone to acknowledge that they have made a valid point.

And to Serwaa: keep doing your work. Continue encouraging young women to pursue financial independence, exercise patience and build lives they can genuinely afford. You do not need universal approval to make a useful contribution.

Ghana already has enough people competing to look rich, important and influential. We could use a few more people encouraging others to become financially secure, emotionally mature and intellectually honest.

Perhaps the next time someone advises us to build wealth rather than counterfeit its appearance, we should resist the temptation to counterfeit outrage, too.

After all, the handbag may be fake, but surely our capacity for honest debate should be original.