Social media hostility is damaging Ghana's moral fibre – Koku Anyidoho

The Founder and President of the Atta Mills Institute, Samuel Koku Anyidoho, has warned that the way Ghanaians communicate on social media is becoming increasingly damaging to the country’s moral fibre.

According to him, the growing hostility in Ghana’s new-media space should concern citizens because political disagreements are increasingly being expressed through abusive communication.

“What is happening in the new media is very scary,” Anyidoho said on Kessben Maakye in Accra.

He said the way people communicate online was contributing to a wider deterioration in social values.

“The manner in which communication is being spewed out is destroying the moral fibre of society,” he said.

Anyidoho said political differences should not destroy relationships between citizens.

“Political disagreements should not turn citizens into enemies. We should not allow abusive behaviour to become an accepted feature of our politics,” he said.

He also drew a line between freedom of expression and deliberately destroying another person’s reputation.

Anyidoho argued that the right to express political opinions should not be used as an excuse to malign others or cause reputational harm.

His comments come as Ghana continues to debate how to address harmful online content while preserving freedom of expression.

President John Dramani Mahama has asked the Ghana Journalists Association and the Media Foundation for West Africa to facilitate a national conversation and develop a roadmap for dealing with harmful online content while protecting freedom of expression.

Anyidoho also urged ordinary citizens to become more involved in how the country is governed instead of leaving national affairs entirely to political leaders.

“We must all be part of the governance of the country and not leave it for the government alone to think for us,” he said.

He said citizens had a responsibility to take an active interest in governance and contribute to decisions about the country’s direction.