‘President Mahama cannot use these arrests to intimidate anyone in the country’ - Okatakyie

Media personality Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah has asserted that President John Dramani Mahama cannot use security and state agencies to intimidate anyone in the country.

Okatakyie made the remarks following the recent arrests of social media personalities accused of making offensive comments about the President and other public figures.

Speaking on Okay FM on September 17, 2026, Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah argued that the use of security agencies to intimidate people does not, in most cases, solve the issues at hand.

According to the media personality, such actions may only intimidate a few people for some time, while pockets of violence could continue to build in different places, potentially creating more serious problems if the situation is not addressed.

“If President Mahama does not take care and pull the brakes, but thinks he can use the security and state agencies to oppress the people in the name of silencing them, these things happen most of the time and solve nothing. It will only intimidate a few people for some time.

“Pockets of violence will be building here and there, and one day, if he does not take care, what will happen will be worse than what is already happening. John Mahama cannot use these arrests to intimidate anyone in this country,” he said.

Okatakyie Afrifa-Mensah further cautioned internet personalities that while they have the right to express their views, they should also be mindful of the language they use.

Using himself as an example, he explained that his approach to political discussions has changed as he has grown older, particularly in the choice of words he uses when expressing his opinions.

“You can speak your mind, but let me say, for instance, that the choice of words I will use will be very different. When I was younger, I did some of the things a young person may do, but as I am older now, I will do things how older people will do them.

'Ghana Jollof' Exposed: Police reveal identity, declare her wanted

“What I have learned about politics is that if you really do not understand politics, if you speak and get to a certain point, you exhaust your words, and that is where the insults come in. But if you learn and have a lot of conversations, because you have learnt a lot, you will have lots to say in lengthy political discussions, and you wouldn’t insult,” he added.

Okatakyie's comments come amid public discussion over the arrest of social media personalities in connection with content directed at the government and President Mahama.

One of the recent cases involves 40-year-old senior nursing officer Salomey Awity Baffoe, who was arrested at her residence in Hansua in the Techiman Municipality of the Bono East Region during a midnight operation on Sunday, September 13, 2026.

Initial reports said three individuals who identified themselves as National Security operatives went to her residence at about 11:30 p.m. and took her away.

Her family subsequently raised concerns about her whereabouts and denied that she had any connection to the anonymous TikTok account “Ghana Jollof.”

The “Ghana Jollof” account has, in recent months, attracted attention for its strong criticism of President Mahama and First Lady Lordina Mahama. The account operates anonymously and has built a following through videos and commentary targeting political figures.

However, the case took a new turn on September 17, when Salomey was brought before the Adenta Circuit Court 1 in Accra and remanded for two weeks over alleged links to the account.

Reports said authorities accused her of assisting in the dissemination of videos produced by the account.

According to a police charge sheet, investigators allege that Salomey acted as a liaison for Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, identified as the person behind the “Ghana Jollof” account and listed as being outside the jurisdiction.

Police further alleged that Salomey recruited people to redistribute and circulate the account’s videos on various social media platforms.

@officialokayfm “H.E President Mahama can’t use these arrests to intimidate anyone in this country” - Okatakyie Afrifa #okayfm ♬ original sound - Okay101.7FM

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AK/BAI