The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has been asked to fish out individuals whose actions on social media could compromise the peace and security of the country ahead of general elections in November rather than placing a wholesale ban on social media on the day of the elections as the police chief has intimated.
Major Derek Oduro (rtd), Member of Parliament for Nkoranza North in the Brong Ahafo Region, has said Mr John Kudalor and the Ghana Police Service should deal with offenders using the existing laws of the country.
“It [social media] is a communication system. If someone says something that is inflammatory, there is the law that can deal with such action,” Major Oduro (rtd) said on Accra100.5FM’s morning show, Ghana Yensom on Friday May 27.
Arguing out his case for the ban, Mr Kudalor said since the country’s peace was paramount to any other thing, taking such a measure if need be was justifiable.
But the legislator said that would be a “blanket” strategy, a move he would not agree with.
“On social media, if you say something or fabricate something or peddle falsehood that can lead to conflict…then there needs to be investigation,” he suggested to host Chief Jerry Forson on the show, adding: “In my view that [could be] one way to track such persons, [which] would be better than a blanket statement preventing access to social media.”
He mentioned the example of the Rwandan genocide of 1994, believed to have been fanned by inflammatory comments on radio, where the characters behind those irresponsible broadcasts were subsequently arrested, tried, and convicted.
“So, when someone falls foul of the law, that person should be isolated. Let’s adopt a system to arrest such persons to rid society of such negative behaviour, rather than making blanket statements,” he added.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com/100.5fm
