Minister of State for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, says the government can tolerate criticism and insults directed at President John Mahama but will not ignore statements it considers capable of inciting violence or breaching public order.

Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, September 18, 2026, Kwakye Ofosu was asked whether sharing content was sufficient grounds for the arrest and subsequent remand of senior nursing officer Salomey Awiti Baffoe.

He said disseminating what he described as incendiary content could constitute an offence.

“Yes, if you help to spread incendiary content, it is an offence. If somebody says, I will overthrow the government, then you help disseminate that. The law enforcement can pick you up. There is nothing wrong with what they have done,” he stated.

Kwakye Ofosu, however, stressed that Baffoe’s guilt would ultimately be determined by the court.

“In any event, a court will determine whether the person is guilty or not. We do not fear criticism,” he said.

He explained that the government’s concern was not with vulgar language or personal attacks against the President but with statements that could potentially incite violence or disturb public order.

“But we are not concerned about vulgar language as a government, even if it is morally wrong. What we are concerned about is the use of incendiary language with a view to incite people and breach their peace. There is no sane jurisdiction in this world where that is permitted,” he noted.

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Kwakye Ofosu rejected suggestions that Baffoe was arrested because of criticism or insults directed at President Mahama.

“Nobody has been arrested for insulting the President,” he stressed.

He said there was a distinction between criticising the President or government and making statements that could threaten public order.

“There’s a difference between insulting the President or saying unpleasant things about the President or criticising the government and saying things that have the potential to breach the peace,” he said.

Kwakye Ofosu also disputed claims that Baffoe was an innocent nurse who had been caught up in the controversy surrounding the “Ghana Jollof” TikTok account.

He said information available to the government suggested that investigators had established a connection between Baffoe and the account.

“The nurse in question is believed to be a promoter of Ghana Jollof’s conduct,” he said.

According to him, investigations had established what he described as a close linkage between Baffoe and the account, with investigators examining her alleged role in helping to disseminate its content.

He claimed that he had seen aspects of the evidence gathered by investigators and considered it substantial.

“So, the claim that this nurse is innocent and that she has been picked up is also not true. I have seen aspects of the evidence that they have, and I can assure you that it is quite heavy,” he said.

Baffoe, 40, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of abetment of crime, to wit, publication of false news, under Sections 20(1) and 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).

The prosecution alleges that she acted as a liaison for Barbara Asantewaa Kodua, popularly known as “Ghana Jollof”, and helped disseminate videos produced by her by recruiting others to redistribute the content.

MRA/MA

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