The Politics Of Insults

Article by Arthur Kennedy

Last Saturday, during the celebration of the results of the NPP Presidential primary, former President Kufuor criticized the performance of the NDC government. He made critical remarks about the NDC's performance on the economy, the rule of law and freedoms.

Furthermore, he pointed out that despite the attacks on the previous NPP government, the current government too is facing accusations of corruption. He did not attack anyone personally.

 In response to these criticisms, Okudzeto Ablakwa called the former President a hypocrite, and attacked him personally in a manner that was completely unjustified by the circumstances.

Indeed, at some stage, he claimed, referring to President Mills, that “none of his children” had received benefits from the government during his tenure. I will return to Okudzeto Ablakwa presently but while he is extreme, his conduct is not isolated.

On a radio program on Monday, Ursula Owusu, an NPP activist described President Mills as the “lousiest Ghana has ever had.” Really? Compared to the military dictators, including Mr. Rawlings? Come on, Ursula!  

In response to this, according to Joy Fm's report, “Nii Lantey Vanderpuije, an aide to the President, who was on the program, got incensed with Ms. Owusu's assertion, maintaining that none, not even the newly-elected flag-bearer of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's credentials compare with President Mills”. Of course, the conversation was about performance, not credentials.

It needlessly exposed the newly-chosen NPP flag-bearer to a gratuitous insult.

The exchange between Ms Owusu and Mr. Vanderpuije brought back unpleasant echoes of a similar confrontation on TV between Ms. Owusu and an aide to Vice-President John Mahama, followed by a near-brawl between Ms. Owusu and Hon. Bissiw of the NDC. Afterwards, Ms. Owusu complained loudly that she had been called a prostitute by the Vice-President's aide. Unfortunately, these incidents that I have referred to are quite common.

Indeed, if the NDC was looking for an insulter to take to the woodshed, they could not do better than Former President Rawlings. His attacks on the ruling NDC has been vitriolic and persistent.

Indeed, talking about insults, even President Kufuor himself, has not been blameless. He once referred to President Rawlings as “Sasabonsam” while President Rawlings once compared him to Ataa Ayi, a convicted armed robber. Both leaders were wrong. All these insults diminish our leaders and our politics.

While many people here are at fault, I must, with great reluctance, single out Okudzeto Ablakwa. Since getting into government, the young man has changed- or revealed his true colours.

It seems there is no elder he is not eager to insult. He turns every opportunity to respond to a substantive issue into an insult of others, regardless of their age or stature.

Are there no elders in his government who can counsel him? Does he not have elders in his family who can ask him to mind his words? Does he want to be remembered as the young man who took pleasure in insulting his elders?

These insults are harmful to our politics. They inhibit informed debate and heighten tensions in our society unnecessarily.

And they set a very bad example for the youth. Finally, as Ms. Ursula Owusu herself said while complaining about her insults, they discourage good people, not just women, from getting involved in our politics. Unfortunately, insults just beget more insults.

Would it not have been good for the country to have a substantive debate on the failings of the NDC versus those of the NPP?

Regretfully, what we heard generated more heat than light. It is particularly saddening when insults come from those who should know better.

An occasional caller into a program lapsing into insults can be tolerated but when identified, responsible people sent out to represent a government or a party start insulting others, it is time to lay down some rules.

Since most reasonable people accept that insults in our politics serve no useful purpose, how can we minimize them?

First, the media must take responsibility for what they put on air. When a guest on a program stops discussing issues and starts spewing insults and issuing “fatwas” against others, the host must step in to protect those who are being maligned and the public from an assault on their sensibilities.

That near-brawl between Ursula Owusu and Hannah Bisiw should never have been permitted to go as far as it did. It should have been nipped in the bud.

A lot of Mr. Rawlings' ranting, “sebe”, should never have been put on air. Also, the allegation that President Rawlings may have burnt his own house should never have been put on the air.

When a particular host fails to moderate a discussion responsibly, he must be sanctioned by his employers or the owners of the station. Furthermore, we should strengthen the Media Commission so that it can deal with errant stations.

The ultimate sanction against those who frequently insult others is the right of the stations to deny them air-time.

The exclusion of bad panelists will send a clear message to future panelists that they will not be tolerated.

I urge the media to look for those quiet and mature people in our society, who consistently make sense instead of noise- people such as Boadu Ayeboafoh of Graphic, Adwoa Yeboah Afari, Prof. Karikari, Harrunah Attah and many others. 

During the 2008 campaign, I was impressed when Political Editor Kobby Asmah kept telling me, “Doc, Graphic does not want to spread insults.”

If print, radio and TV are bad, the internet is just awful. Using anonymous cover names, people spew such hateful garbage that all they do is exacerbate our ethnic and political differences.

My recommendation to all who go on air or speak in public is that we must avoid the use of language we would not use in the presence of our mothers.

Second, law enforcement must be consistent. It is wrong when they can arrest some literally on air for insulting remarks while others are allowed to say whatever they want based on party affiliation.

It is my conviction that unless public safety is directly threatened, the media, public opinion and the courts must be allowed to deal with issues that arise from the irresponsible exercise of our rights to free speech.

Third, our political parties and governments must take responsibility for those they put on air to speak in their name.

Too often, parties celebrate extremists who insult, rather than voices of moderation and that is unfortunate. Our parties must jealously guard their brands.

It is important that they have standards of conduct for those who speak in their name. When these people say hateful and irresponsible things, they must repudiate them and refuse to support their irresponsible statements.

Fourth, our civil society actors must call out and shame the leaders who send out or permit others to insult people in their name.

Finally, the public must show disapproval for conduct that is inconsistent with our values. I remember that once, I sent a non-Ghanaian friend to look at something on a Ghanaian internet site.

The next day, she called me. “Doctor, why do Ghanaians insult one another so much?” She asked. I must say that I was thoroughly embarrassed.

We can never build a great country by being a nation of insulters. As former US President Bill Clinton once said, “No insult has ever built a bridge or healed a sick child or fed a hungry person.”

If insults could build, Ghana would be a paradise. Those who have nothing constructive to say, respectfully, should just keep quiet.

Let us resolve that going forward, within parties and between parties, we shall exchange ideas, not insults.

Let us move forward, together.