Parliament complains about the use of abusive language

Accra, Nov. 4, GNA - Parliament on Wednesday joined President John Atta Mills to urge politicians, the media and the general public to be decent in the use of language.

Two statements admitted by the Speaker, Justice Joyce Bamford -Addo, from Mr Justice Joe Appiah Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma North and Mr Richard Akuoko Adiyia member for Ahafo-Ano North, all of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), called on politicians to avoid the use of insulting language.

Mr Appiah said resorting to abusive language by politicians, social commentators and public officials would not augur well for Ghana's democracy.

He said Ghanaians frowned on the use of abusive language because the country's customs and traditions did not allow it.

The air waves, he said, had been inundated with discussions about which party did better than the other and this, in most cases, degenerated into a war of words, the MP observed.

He observed that discussions lacked alternative suggestions to Government policies in solving social problems that could move the country forward.

"As the nation prepares to go to the polls in 2012, I passionately appeal to all to exercise restraint in the use of language," he said.

He called for total respect for political leaders without exception, as they were the embodiment of dignity and added that leaders must also keep away from verbal attacks as it would only bring disunity.

Mr Adiyia added that since abut 70 per cent of Ghanaians listened to radio, those using this medium must be very watchful in their use of language.

"The vengeance and the political vendettas associated with transitions in political leadership must not have a place in Ghana's democratic practice and has to stop.

He said the times had come for politicians to move away from politics of lies, insults and personal attacks and rather engage in constructive debates of issues that promoted national development.

He noted that Ghana had got to a stage that the government in power and the largest opposition party should be able to give and take constructive criticism for the development of the nation, a phenomenon he described as the cross-fertilization of ideas.

Commenting on the statement Mr Kojo Adu Asare, National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for Adenta, said discussions on radio in the mornings, especially, seemed to suggest that Ghana was on fire.

"We have lost our statehood," he said, and noted that media personnel had turned into lawyers cross-examining people on issues.

Mr Asare blamed the principle of "winner takes all and the loser takes nothing" in the country's political system as part of the cause of political tension.

He made allusion to the media practice in China where in the mornings no media house was allowed to discuss politics but development issues only, adding that all these had contributed to China's speedy development.

He wondered why there was always unity amongst MPs from all parts of the political divide on the floor of the House but why the same relationship could not be cultivated among people of different political backgrounds outside parliament.

Mr Evans Anthony Amoah, New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Mpohor Wasa East said the National Media Commission must transcend accepting complains from aggrieved people from media attack.

He said the media must be responsible in its reportage while politicians should also be careful about how they speak.

Mr Fritz Baffour Frederic, NDC MP for Ablekuma South, said Ghanaians must understand that the press was given the chance to breathe when the Criminal Libel Law was repealed, but added lightly that the press was now breathing too much.

He said Ghana's traditional norms did not conform to the current use of abusive language.

The NDC member for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka said the problem had to do with the attitude of Ghanaians, adding "our attitude is destroying us."

He stressed that ethnicity or tribe was something no one had the chance to choose which he or she wanted to belong to, and questioned why one would undermine his neighbour on tribal considerations.

He said events that triggered war in Liberia Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast were connected to tribe and called on Ghanaians to refrain from tribalism.

It would be recalled that President Mills at the inaugural ceremony of the 23 million Pounds Sterling rail service on October 29, 2010, poured out his displeasure at the prevalence of politics of insults among Ghanaians, especially on the air waves.