Inusah Fuseini proposes national dialogue on Misinformation and Disinformation Bill
Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini has proposed that the government should open a broad, non-partisan dialogue on the proposed National Misinformation and Disinformation Bill, warning that it could drift into politically driven enforcement if not carefully designed.
The draft legislation, announced in July by the Minister of Communications, Samuel Nartey George, is intended to help curb the spread of falsehoods, hate speech and disinformation on digital platforms.
Mr George explained that the move was to “strengthen legal safeguards against the deliberate spread of false or harmful content online” while upholding freedom of expression.
“We will not clamp down on freedom of expression,” he said. “However, when your right to free expression ends, your duty not to misinform begins.”
The minister said it will give statutory agencies a clear framework to act on harmful content without re-introducing the criminal libel.
Mr Inusah Fuseini, reacting when he appeared on Joy FM’s Newsfile programme on Saturday [September 13, 2025], said any legal intervention in this area must reflect Ghana’s constitutional guarantees and social realities.
“Some judge has been talking about a law that is being made in this regard. We don’t know about it yet,” he observed.
“When the draft of the law is finally made available, all of us will input and ensure that we deal with this emerging phenomenon.”
President Mahama calls for regulation of online commentary
Mr Fuseini’s call followed a comment by President John Dramani Mahama at last week’s media encounter.
The President expressed concern over unregulated online commentary and the rise of hate speech on social media.
“We have a new crop, I call them new journalists. Anybody with a phone and a camera can report news or comment on national issues. Now the point is, who holds those people responsible?” Mr Mahama asked.
He added that many viral posts on WhatsApp, TikTok and other platforms contain hate speech or incitement to violence conduct which, he noted, is already criminal despite the repeal of criminal libel in 2001.
“We must start making regulations for this new media,” he said.
Balancing rights and responsibility
Mr Fuseini recalled earlier policy discussions on cybersecurity and online responsibility dating back to 2020. He stressed that any future law must safeguard the constitutional right to free speech (Chapter Five) while recognising the duties of citizens under Chapter Six to respect others’ freedoms and promote national unity.
“If you want to create a civilised, sane society, people should be responsible,” he said. “We must find a way to balance the need for people to exercise their right to speech … and also balance that with the requirements of responsibility.”
He also criticised the rise of anonymous online outlets publishing unverified material without accountability.
“Sometimes I sit on this platform and say things, and I go and read things that somebody has written, and you want to check the byline, who is that person? ‘The Marvellous TV’, who is that?” he asked. “Nobody should have the right to sit in the corner of his room and create content meant for public consumption without any iota of responsibility.”
While acknowledging that hate speech is identified in Ghana’s National Security Strategy as a threat to stability, the former lawmaker warned against enacting a statute that punishes dissent or stifles political speech.
“Finding that balance will require proper national debate, and I hope Sam George or whoever is spearheading it will not be driven by the energy of politics but will actually create a very open forum for debate,” he said.
