Ghana’s insistence on English as the language of Parliament and governance amounts to “subtle and pervasive censorship” that silences the majority, Emeritus Professor Kwesi Yankah has warned.

Delivering a keynote on Language and Political Participation at a symposium co-organised by Indiana University and local partners, Prof. Yankah said Ghana’s 30-year democracy has measured success by economic milestones “without critical assessment of inclusiveness.”

“Stakeholder participation is a key ingredient in democracy. But the efficacy of one’s participation depends on one’s control over linguistic resources,” he said on June 18, 2026.

He argued that while colonial languages dominate executive, legislative, and judicial forums, only a “tiny minority” of Ghanaians have working knowledge of English. This “presents a paradox in democratic governance” and risks entrenching minority rule.

“The popular index of education is one’s ability to speak English. As long as one lacks proficiency in the colonial language, one is considered illiterate, with all its derogatory connotations,” Yankah said.

He cited Parliament’s Standing Orders, which require proceedings in English and permit local languages only “provided facilities exist for interpretation.” Members using Ghanaian languages must often provide their own translations. “It amounts to saying, if you want to use a Ghanaian language here, we wish you good luck… you will do your own translation,” he said.

Yankah recounted being interrupted in Parliament in 2019 for allegedly reading a speech, and praised former Amenfi East MP Mercy Adu-Gyamfi, who had only a BECE certificate but delivered a notable speech after months of preparation. He noted 89% of MPs in the 7th Parliament had at least a bachelor’s degree, yet Standing Orders are “not kind to newcomers learning the rules of parliamentary discourse.”

While the Constitution guarantees freedom of speech and mandates interpreters in court, Yankah said it does not sufficiently ensure stakeholder participation. He welcomed signs of change in the 9th Parliament, where an MP was “grudgingly permitted” to contribute in a Ghanaian language in February 2025.

“The importance of literacy is indispensable. But formal education should not be confused with wisdom,” he said, warning against dismissing oral knowledge and African languages as inferior.

The symposium theme, he noted, “has often been accepted and tabled… only to be ignored by policymakers whose pockets are not worth it.”