The Ghana Report Summit: Misinformation and disinformation are national security threats – IGP
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has described misinformation and disinformation as threats that could destabilise the country in the 2024 general elections.
According to him, the spread of fake news on social media had become a major concern due to its potential to erode the democratic gains made by the country and disrupt the current peace and security.
He was speaking at the maiden edition of The Ghana Report Summit on Thursday, August 1, at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel, Accra.
“It has the potency to render all of us homeless and countryless. We cannot afford that. We also know that when it comes to elections, the tension in the environment leads to a situation where these evil forces of our very survival become something that needs to be checked and checked immediately,” he stated.
He continued: “What is important is the fact that if we look at the principle of free speech and we are not careful to look at its limitations, we will end up taking no action when it comes to fighting misinformation and disinformation. Because anytime people do that and you raise the issue that ‘you’ve gone beyond your free speech, and therefore what you have embarked upon are things beyond free speech that lead to a situation of a threat to national security and, of course, our very survival’, you have people all over the place supporting such people and discouraging or disrespecting, or attacking any decision that is taken to deal with them. So in one breath, we want to fight it. In another breath, if it comes up and is being fought, we have people attacking the people who are fighting it. So the question that I want to find out is, what do we want as a people?”
Dr. Dampare stressed the need for collaboration among all stakeholders in the fight against the phenomenon.
“It is the realisation that it is the whole of society’s problem, a whole of a community problem, a whole of a nation’s problem, and more importantly, a whole of a global problem. We need everybody to be part of the solution.”
Organised by The Ghana Report, a subsidiary of I-ZAR Group, and the 2019 Best News Portal of the Year/Best Portal in Corporate Social Responsibilities at the 25th Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Awards, The Ghana Report Summit brought together over 300 participants.
Themed “Dealing with Misinformation and Disinformation—Elections 2024”, H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo headlined the event as the keynote speaker.
The programme was hosted by His Royal Majesty, the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.
Other prominent personalities who featured at the event include Minister for National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah; Inspector-General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare; former National Security Coordinator, Larry Gbevlo-Lartey; and Director of Elections and ICT, NDC, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah.
Others are the Spokesperson for Former President John Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari; the Minister for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar; Chairperson for the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Kathleen Addy; and the Regional Manager for CSquared West Africa, Estelle Akofio-Sowah.
The remaining are former President of the Ghana Journalist Association, Roland Affail Monney; Founder of the Global Media Alliance, Amb. Edward Boateng; and the Chief Executive Officer of Komskraft Consult, Gayheart Mensah.