Ghana: Former UN boss kicks against social media ban

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has advised the Ghana government to look at the positive sides of social media rather than considering ways of suppressing it during the 2016 elections.

Speaking on the theme: “Credible and Peaceful Elections: A Prerequisite for Africa’s Progress” on Thursday, Mr. Annan said it will not be worth the effort for any state institution to shut down social media.

Governments which have managed to shut down social media have only “made gains in the short term”, the veteran diplomat noted when he delivered the 2016 Kronti Ne Akwamu Lectures in Accra.

Mr. Annan explained that the world is currently more socially connected than before. “What you shut down here is available elsewhere,” he maintained. He, therefore, called for consensus building in considering such a move.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) had suggested at a media forum that the Ghana Police Service was considering a social media blackout on the eve and day of the 2016 elections. The suggestion did not, however, go down well with many with some already threatening demonstration at such a move.

Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5fm/Miriam Hayford