“Knowledge is Power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family” – Kofi Annan.
At a conference recently, the Minister of National Security, Kan Dapah noted that “Disinformation is Ghana’s major security challenge.”
The conference was on the theme: “Impact of Disinformation on Electoral Integrity, Peace and Security in Africa.”
The Minister of National Security remarked that democracy was under siege in West Africa, and that, “disinformation is the most potent weapon being employed by foreign and local actors to destabilize our nations.”
The National Security Minister went on further to say, “Look at the recent spate of coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, and they provide a better context for analyzing the role of disinformation and misinformation in undermining democracy, peace and stability in West Africa.”
Mrs. Ursula Owusu Ekuful, Minister of Communications and Digitalization said “misinformation was a threat to the country’s democratic foundation, sowing doubts, amplifying divisions and eroding trust in the electoral system….”
It can undermine not only the integrity of our elections but also damage our peace and security, polarize our societies and pitch one group against the other, knock our heads against each other and shred the very nature and foundation of our societies.
Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, observed that “heavy-handed responses such as internet shutdowns or network throttling of social media represent a grave information infringement on fundamental human rights.”
Those were excellent speeches, brilliant talk, and no doubt, great expatiation of the topic, but how do disinformation and misinformation arise, in the first place?
The speakers provide the probable answers and go ahead to suggest the following as a possible solution to the problem: speed up public education; encourage citizens to distinguish facts from fiction; and provide a forum for media practitioners to carry out their work diligently.
One would say the speakers did great service to the nation BUT the million – dollar question is what causes the disinformation or misinformation in the first place?
Is the government open enough, so that people can source the information right from the government directly? Are there not some fundamental truths which the disinformation ‘exaggerates’?
Recently a veteran statesman, Sir Sam Jonah challenged the citizens to “speak up against corruption.” He noted, “Your civic responsibility enjoins you to be active citizens in the affairs of the nation.
Keeping silent is not the way to do that. If you see things going on that are not right, expect your society to speak up so that your members become active citizens.” (He was addressing members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana under the theme, “Pharmacist for National Development”).
Sir Sam Jonah stated that, “We must do all we can to ensure corruption does not become the norm. In this regard, leadership must be exemplary in fighting corruption, and holders of political office must lead the way.”
Sam Jonah’s was not the only voice against corruption. He stated, “Just last month, the Senior Presidential Advisor, Yaw Osafo Maafo, lamented over the alarming rate of corruption in Ghana, stating that it is going from bad to worse.”
Then within days after Osafo Maafo’s speech, the Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako Attah also highlighted the “pervasiveness” of corruption in his ministry.
“There are a lot of corrupt people; there are a lot of thieves in my ministry. You sack them, you employ new ones, and when they come, the new ones are even worse than the old one…,” he said. And the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and the Attorney-General have both spoken against corruption.
But, what whets the appetite for corruption? The employees under the political leaders see the corrupt deals of these leaders, so they know that nothing will be done to them if the leaders see them indulge in corruption. If initially, they did not have any example, now, they have Cecilia Dapaah’s case to cite despite the explanations given. Those workers in Accra will ask you the age-long question: “Did I come to Accra to look at the sea?”
Sir Sam Jonah gave a lamentable picture of the “debt albatross”, and noted that the massive interests over the years had deprived critical sectors of much needed investment.
“In 2022, interest payments alone amounted to over GH¢45 billion almost double the capital expenditure for the year, and about 47 percent of all revenue, meaning for every GH¢1 received as revenue, nearly 50 pesewas was used to pay interest. This is unsustainable.”
The youth are lamenting. No job! Nearly two-thirds of the African youth is unemployed, so says Marie Noelle Nwokolo, a Sierra Leonean Tindem rummaging through raw sewage says: “I have to survive, and I buy ‘Kush’ and smoke it to ease my stress. If I had a good job, I could save money to take care of my family.”
The unemployment situation among the youth pushes them to sing praises to any person who emerges as a coup leader, despite the fact that we have all seen the hollowness of military regimes in terms of governance.
The political leaders should be careful not to dismiss any criticism against them. Professor Adei says, “Nana Akufo-Addo’s government is full of corrupt and arrogant people who think Ghana belongs to them.” “Nana Addo has been a disappointment – One of the greatest disappointments is that he raised the hope of Ghanaians. Ghanaians expected that they had got a leader with vision, charisma, determinations, and it seems if he doesn’t redeem himself in the next 14 months, he will go down in history as one of the most disappointing leaders … the corruption and arrogance of the Akufo-Addo government is to the extent that they “think that Ghana is for them … and some of them think that they should tell who should be our next president.”
We are all watching, and Prof. Adei has given the deadline: ‘the next 14 months’ – the time for Nana Addo to “reform” himself, and save the New Patriotic Party, and the Presidential candidate of the party.
Africanus Owusu-Ansah africanusoa@gmail.com