Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has admitted that he has contributed to Ghana’s growing culture of political insults, recalling his past description of former President Nana Akufo-Addo as “Manpam”.
Martin Kpebu made the admission while calling for a national dialogue to address what he described as the increasing use of abusive and offensive language in Ghana’s political discourse.
Speaking in an interview, he said the problem could not be blamed on only one political side, arguing that political actors and commentators across the divide had, at various times, used language that went beyond normal political criticism.
In acknowledging his own contribution, Mr Kpebu referred to his previous use of the word “Manpam” to describe former president Akufo-Addo.
He also mentioned remarks previously made by President John Dramani Mahama, including the controversial “Akyem mafia” description, as examples of the language that has characterised political debates in the country.
According to Mr Kpebu, the situation has now reached a point where arrests, prosecutions and the use of police cells alone cannot solve the problem.
He said Ghana needs a national conversation involving political actors and other stakeholders to agree on acceptable limits in political communication.
Martin Kpebu’s comments come amid controversy surrounding the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account and the arrest of some individuals linked to content allegedly circulated through the platform.
One of those arrested, Salomey Awiti Bafoh, 40, a senior nursing officer, has been remanded for two weeks after pleading not guilty to a charge of abetment of crime. The allegations against her have not been established by a court.
Mr Kpebu questioned whether prolonged arrests and prosecutions would address the wider culture of political insults.
He instead called for a national discussion that could help political actors “call a truce” and find a more sustainable way of handling disagreements.
He said the objective should not be to prevent criticism but to establish boundaries that protect public discourse from abusive language and statements capable of causing harm.
