President John Dramani Mahama has indicated that his government will not block access to social media on the day of this year’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
It would be recalled that Ghana’s police chief, John Kudalor, had said that should the need arise, nothing and nobody could stop him from blocking social media sites on Election Day to safeguard the peace and security of the country.
“I don’t want to use some words, I think everybody has his opinion, everybody is entitled to his opinion, I’m talking as a security person, and I know where I’m coming from and I know what has happened. …The world is now a global village and we have to compare with best practices, so, I don’t see what they are talking about. If it gets to the crunch… I think there is nothing that can stop anybody from going that way if it’s necessary,” Mr John Kudalor told Atiewin Mbillah of Class News on Friday May 27 in an exclusive interview.
Mr Kudalor’s comment was in response to flaks hurled at him by critics over his proposal to black out social media during the November 7 general elections to ensure the process was peaceful.
The IGP said the use of social media by politicians, especially from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), for election-related activities, had created tensions in the country, hence his proposal.
“At one stage, I said that if it becomes critical, on the eve and also on the Election Day, we shall block all social media [sites] as other countries have done. We’re thinking about it.”
But speaking during the launch of the 2016 campaign of the National Democratic Congress in Cape Coast on Sunday August 14, Mr Mahama said: “I assure my countrymen and women that government has no intention to shut down social media on Election Day.”
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
