President John Mahama has disclosed that he monitors social media platforms, including TikTok, to track public concerns about his administration.
According to John Mahama, Ghanaian citizens’ complaints reach him, and he ensures that it reaches the relevant ministers.
Mahama disclosed that he does not dismiss criticism, even from people who believe his government is taking the country in the wrong direction.
He argued that public feedback helps him identify problems and improve governance.
Mahama disclosed that he sometimes comes across complaints in the media and personally contacts ministers to demand explanations about developments in their sectors.
Speaking during an engagement with the Ghanaian community in Moscow, President Mahama stated, “I don’t mind if people tell me I am leading the country in the wrong direction because I am trying to do my best. Criticism helps me to do better. So when people criticise me and say this is not right, I am not offended”.
He explained criticism often prompts him to question his appointees and urge them to address issues.
“There are sometimes I go on the media and I see something and I call them and say, ‘ Hey, Minister, what is happening in your sector and then he or she says this and this and then I say no, you better sit up because I have seen this and that and it helps me to be a better leader,” he said.
He further stressed that citizens should not assume the Presidency doesn’t notice their social media posts, saying, “So all your TikTok and things, don’t think I don’t see them; I see them”.
Earlier, President John Dramani Mahama broke his silence over the growing number of arrests involving social media commentators, particularly TikTokers.
According to Mahama, he is not aware of many of the arrests until they are brought to his attention through media reports.
Mahama, however, stressed the need for a broader national conversation on how TikTok and other emerging media platforms should be regulated.
The President disclosed that the government could simply direct the police not to arrest people over statements they make; such a move could raise questions about whether it reflects the position Ghanaians want to adopt.
He therefore called for a wider discussion on the appropriate balance between freedom of expression and the regulation of content on new media platforms.
Speaking at a town hall meeting with the Ghanaian community in New York on Friday, September 25, President Mahama stated, “There is a new term that I call information integrity. The media has become democratised. Anybody with a mobile phone can disseminate information. There is a new medium called TikTok. And it’s not only Ghana where people are wondering what to do to regulate TikTok. Because in all countries all over the world, we are wondering what to do to make sure that we have information integrity even with TikTok”.
“Anybody who has a phone just puts it in front of him and just says whatever he likes. Once they put it out, it has an algorithm that shares it,” he said.
He added, “As a leader, I don’t mind being insulted. I’ve been insulted. I was vilified. I was voted out of office. I have a tough skin; so if you insult me, I don’t mind,” he said.
“Definitely, a lot of these arrests, I don’t even know about them. I also hear about them in the media. Some of them have been tracked and arrested and all that. And sometimes, it worries me, because sometimes the reason for which the person has been arrested, really, they say, is because he insulted me,” he said.
Mahama said the challenge was determining where legitimate freedom of expression ended and conduct that required intervention, saying, “I can tell the IGP, we can go to Cabinet and say, let anybody insult anybody. Let’s leave it free for all. Don’t arrest anybody for anything they say. We can do that. But is that what we want?”
“So, let’s all decide what we want to do. So, that we either find a way of regulating it or we say, when it comes to free expression, anybody can say whatever he wants,” he said.
He further disclosed that the question of regulating new media should not be determined by government alone.
Mahama added, “What we should do is for the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) to bring all the stakeholders together and hold a workshop or a forum.
“Let’s all collectively take a decision on what we want to do with the new media. Should the police get involved, or shouldn’t they get involved? How do we regulate it? You come out and tell us,” he said.
Watch the video below:
JM Meets Ghanaians in Moscow: “I don’t mind if people tell me I’m leading the country in the wrong direction. Criticism helps me to do better, and so all your TikToks, don’t think I don’t see them. I see them.” — President Mahama. https://t.co/sYJgPu17hW
— The1957News (@The1957News) October 29, 2026
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