Has Ghana Jollof said things worse than Maurice Ampaw? — Barker-Vormawor quizzes
by Miss Naa · MyNewsGh.comGhanaian Lawyer Oliver Barker-Vormawor has questioned whether Ghana is applying the same standard to political speech, particularly when insults and attacks are directed at people in power.
He drew attention to the wider culture of political vitriol that has become part of Ghana’s political landscape and questioned why some speakers are pursued by law enforcement while others who make similarly harsh comments are not.
His comments followed the arrest of Salomey Bafoh Awiti, who is said to be connected to Ghana Jollof, an online figure associated with repeated attacks and verbal abuse against President John Dramani Mahama, his wife and other political figures.
Barker-Vormawor said he did not approve of the content associated with Ghana Jollof and found some of the insults difficult to listen to.
He nevertheless questioned the consistency of the response to political speech.
“Is it possible to say that Ghana Jollof has said things worse than what Maurice Ampaw has been saying in this country? I don’t think so,” he said.
“Why he is not a target?” He said that question needed to be addressed if authorities were going to rely on the criminal nature of particular statements as the basis for police action.
Barker-Vormawor also maintained that there was a difference between speech that is offensive and speech that creates a legally recognised harm.
On the alleged claim that a coup was taking place, he said he believed that particular statement could justify police intervention because it could fall under the law concerning false news intended to cause fear and panic.
“But so many of the videos being branded about where the person is insulting of persons in power, it is horrible to listen to. But they do not meet the threshold,” he said.
“Having that conversation in itself is not an invitation for reckless conduct in a society,” Barker-Vormawor concluded.
Source: MyNewsGh.com
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