He said citizens should be minded the peace and democracy inherent in the country.
The President said the freedom of speech being enjoyed by Ghanaians should come with responsibility from everyone.
He said this at the Eid ul-Adha celebrations in Ghana today.
President Akufo-Addo said although he and his government are firm believers in free speech, the entire country must bear in mind that unguided utterance could compromise the security of the state as witnessed in other part of the African continent, such as Rwanda.
“I am a firm supporter of free speech. The government I lead is also a firm supporter of free speech amply evidenced by the culture of free speech prevailing in the country. However, we must all bear in mind that words can be as incendiary as guns. The Bible tells us that ‘death and life are in the power of the tongue‘. All it took was the mating of words by an irresponsibly journalist amplified by the power of radio to ignite the tragic genocide in Rwanda,” President Akufo-Addo said.
“It is important for all of us to recognise that there is only one country we call home and that is Ghana. We must protect our way of life in the words of the national pledge, with all our strength and with all our hearts. We should not allow the actions and utterance of a few misguided persons to jeopardize and destroy the united Ghana we currently possess which is the envy of many on the continent and in the world,” the president added.
President Akufo-Addo in his remarks, congratulated the Muslim community as they celebrate Eid ul-Adha. He called on all Muslims to emulate the example of the Prophet Mohammed and to sacrifice for the building of the Ghana we all want.