September 27, 2026
Online Publishers Association of Ghana (OPAG) warmly welcomes President Mahama’s call for a National Dialogue aimed at ending insults, abuse, and intemperate language on social media.
In recent years, our digital platforms — which should be tools for education, innovation, national unity and economic opportunity — have increasingly become spaces for personal attacks, divisive rhetoric, and unguarded insults.
This trend, if left unchecked, threatens our social cohesion, our democratic culture, and the respect that has long defined us as Ghanaians.
Freedom of speech is a cherished right under our Constitution and must be protected at all costs. However, freedom must always come with responsibility. We can disagree without being disagreeable. We can debate policies without attacking personalities. We can hold different political views without resorting to insults.
A National Dialogue by the President is therefore timely and necessary. It will give us the opportunity as a nation to:
1.Promote responsible and ethical use of social media;
2. Reaffirm our core Ghanaian values of respect, tolerance and dignity for all;
3. Build consensus on a code of conduct for political actors, media practitioners, influencers and citizens;
4. Protect our youth from the culture of online abuse.
OPAG, for the past few months has advocated and drawn the attention of its members and general public that the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) Act, 2020 (Act 1038) still remains in force, therefore it is important to adhere to it to avoid falling foul of the law.
As online publishers, we must always bear in mind that ethics can not be sacrificed for speed as ethics remains the overarching rudiments of our profession.
In it is in light of these that OPAG Welcomes the call by President Mahama for a national dialogue.
We therefore call on all stakeholders — government, political parties, traditional leaders, religious bodies, civil society, the media, and especially young people — to fully support and participate in this important national exercise.
Let us work together to sanitize our digital space and make social media force for development, not division.
SIGNED:
Michael Petit Mawugbe
President, OPAG
0244883575
