The arrest and remand of a Techiman-based nurse over alleged social media offences has reignited a wider debate over free speech, political criticism and the role of Ghana’s intelligence agencies.
NPP flagbearer and former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has now weighed in, pledging that intelligence agencies would not be used to pursue citizens simply for insulting the President or other public officials if he gets the opportunity to govern.
His comments follow the arrest of 40-year-old senior nursing officer Salomey Awiti Bafoh, who was remanded for two weeks by the Adenta Circuit Court after pleading not guilty to a charge of abetment of crime relating to the alleged publication and circulation of false news.
Bafoh, a mother of three, was arrested at her home in Hansua, near Techiman, on September 13.
Prosecutors allege that she acted as a liaison for UK-based Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as “Ghana Jollof”, helping to distribute videos through others.
The prosecution further alleges that Kodua sent money to Bafoh to support the activities and that some of the videos contained offensive and inflammatory statements, including an alleged threat to overthrow the government and burn Ghana.
These allegations have not been established by a court.
Reacting to the case, Dr Bawumia said the circumstances surrounding Bafoh’s arrest and detention were “very worrying”, particularly given that she is a mother of three, including a four-year-old.
“The story of how a Techiman-based nurse and mother of 3 (including a 4-year-old), Salomey Bafoh Awiti, was picked up in the middle of the night by national intelligence officers and has been remanded for two weeks on suspicion that she is abetting the publication of false news is very worrying to read,” he wrote.
Bawumia said he does not support abusive political language and urged political actors to maintain decorum.
“I have always disavowed a politics of insults and will remind all in the political space of the need to be decorous. The ideas we need to transform our nation won’t come from insults,” he said.
But he argued that political offensiveness should not become a reason to restrict legitimate expression.
“But I also remind the NDC government that any infringement on the right to free speech pushes our democracy backwards,” he wrote.
“Free speech, as unpalatable as it may be sometimes, is the foundation of our democracy.”
He added: “I can assure Ghanaians that when given the opportunity, our intelligence agencies will not be reduced to chasing citizens for insulting the President or anyone else.”
Bawumia also accused the government of selective enforcement of the law and called for Bafoh and others facing similar charges to be released.
“Even more worrying is the government’s continuous selective application of our laws. Some citizens can insult and walk free, and others are jailed because the government doesn’t like the target of their insults,” he wrote.
“Please release Salomey Bafoh Awiti and others who have been similarly charged and jailed,” Dr Bawumia said.
