President Mahama Uses TikTok to Hold Ministers Accountable

President John Dramani Mahama monitors public complaints on social media, specifically TikTok, to assess government performance and hold his ministers accountable. During engagements with Ghanaian communities in Moscow and New York, Mahama explained that he uses online feedback to identify sectoral problems and personally demand explanations from his appointees.

He cited a specific instance in the Ashanti Region where a TikTok complaint regarding a washed-away bridge prompted the government to deploy an excavator to clear a blocked channel. While welcoming criticism of his leadership, Mahama addressed the recent arrest of social media commentators.

Mahama called for a national conversation involving the Ghana Journalists Association and the Media Foundation for West Africa to determine the balance between freedom of expression and the regulation of new media. He noted that while he could instruct police to stop arrests for insults, a collective decision on what he calls "information integrity" and the regulation of digital platforms is necessary.