Dr. Francis Adomako, the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has issued a strong appeal to Ghanaian youth and social media influencers to refrain from using abusive, discriminatory, and ethnically charged language.
He warned that the increasing prevalence of toxic discourse online poses a severe threat to national cohesion and peace.
Speaking in Kumasi on Tuesday, Dr. Adomako voiced deep concern over the growing trend among young digital content creators who prioritize divisive narratives and clickbait for quick popularity over constructive engagement.
Constructive Use:
Highlighting the dual nature of modern technology, Dr. Adomako emphasized that smartphones and digital platforms should be harnessed as tools for innovation and professional growth rather than conduits for hate speech.
“I am confident that these young people trading insults and tribal sentiments have seen how their peers globally use talent, creativity, and intellect to achieve extraordinary success. That ought to be their true inspiration,” Dr. Adomako noted.
Accountability:
Addressing the broader political and societal leadership, Dr. Adomako urged leaders across all spectrums including, political, religious, and traditional to publicly denounce and sanction members who engage in hostile online behavior.
He warned that indifference from those in authority risks normalizing toxic behavior, which could destabilize the nation’s political atmosphere.
He further observed that certain political actors actively fund and exploit anti-social online behavior for short-term partisan gain.
“As responsible community and political leaders, we must unequivocally reject these tactics,” he urged.
He stated that, “We must expose and publicly shame those behind these smear campaigns to eradicate this menace from our body politic.”
Political Background:
Ghana’s political landscape has seen a sharp increase in digital political campaigning, with social media influencers playing an increasingly pivotal role in shaping public opinion.
However, this shift has also amplified partisan rivalry, inflammatory rhetoric, and tribal polarization, raising concerns among civil society organizations and governance experts as major elections approach.
Commitment:
Dr. Adomako reaffirmed the NPP’s commitment to fostering a healthy civic environment centered on policy debate rather than personal or ethnic attacks.
“The NPP firmly believes in freedom of expression, but free speech must never be conflated with hate speech,” Dr. Adomako stated.
He added, “Our focus remains on promoting sound policies and programs that improve the lives of all Ghanaians, regardless of where they operate from”.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Michael Ofosu-Afriyie, Kumasi.
