The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWA), Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, has indicated strongly that the UN would not endorse any attempts to ban social media in Ghana during elections.
The Ghana Police Service had indicated it was considering the shutdown of social media services in the country on November 7, the day of the general elections, since in their view, the abuse of social media platforms often creates unnecessary tension in the country.
[contextly_sidebar id=”uM0FiBXNza8h0JC2UJGRy5SlSD2eYTLq”]This intention was met with backlash from a host of civil society organizations who viewed such a move as an infringement on the constitutional rights of Ghanaians.
Dr. Ibn Chambas agreed with the critics of such a ban, saying that any possible ban will restrict the democratic space and curtail freedom of expression.
“I should say without hesitation that from a UN point of view, we would be obviously averse to any steps that will amount to restricting the democratic space particularly any steps that will be taken to restrict the freedom of expression.”
Dr. Ibn Chambas, whilst acknowledging that social media, “for good or for bad”, was one of the modes of expression of free speech in democratic societies, he cautioned that “a total ban would obviously not be something the UN would encourage.”
Backlash against potential social media shutdown
The Police Service’s indication they were considering the possibility of shutting down social media platforms across the country on election day, was met with criticism from from the general public.
Groups like the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), rejected the Police Administration’s reasoning for a social media ban saying any restriction on social media would be tantamount to a violation of freedom of expression.
Kinna Likimani, the Project Lead of Ghana Decides, a social media platform dedicated to election coverage in Ghana, also described the Police Service’s decision to shut down social media platforms as an affront to the tenets of the 1992 constitution.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana