By Kodjo Adams
Accra, August 1, GNA- Dr Edward Omane Boamah, Director of Elections, National Democratic Congress (NDC), has urged Civil Society Organisations to profile and score statements from political actors ahead of the 2024 elections.
He said political parties that spread disinformation and misinformation should be branded as disreputable to voters.
Dr Boamah suggested this during a panel discussion at the Ghana Report Summit.
He said that political disinformation and misinformation could undermine the credibility of the electoral process and compromise the integrity of election results.
Dr. Boamah said CSOs that have been at the forefront of supporting credible elections should identify and shame political entities that spread misleading information through the Misinformation and Disinformation Index, to address the matter during polls.
They must grasp the critical impact of technology on misinformation and disinformation on national cohesion and devise long-term solutions to the problem.
The Summit was on the theme “Dealing with Misinformation and Disinformation-Election 2024.”
Dr Boamah urged security agencies to ensure that the law is applied and enforced symmetrically to foster an atmosphere of peace ahead of the 2024 elections.
He said the security services played a key role in securing peaceful elections by enforcing the law fairly and transparently.
Ms Fatimatu Abubakar, Minister of Information, said there were many reasons for the spread of misinformation and disinformation, including a lack of access to accurate information about the facts.
She advised institutions to be proactive in reacting to matters of concern to address the information gap caused by a failure to provide timely details to the public.
Ms Abubakar said the government was working with stakeholders to establish fact-checking mechanisms at various media houses to address misinformation and disinformation.
Mr Kofi Tonto, a Communication Team Member of the News Patriotic Party, underscored the importance of information, saying the government was committed to campaigning on issue-based messages.
Ms Joyce Bawa Mogtari, special aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, urged the media to fact-check their information before dissemination to avoid disinformation.
Ms Kathleen Addy, Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education, said her outfit had rolled out nationwide activities to educate the public on misinformation and disinformation, calling for media literacy to curb the situation.
She also advocated for investments in public education to guarantee that consumers are equipped to distinguish between fake and actual news.
Ms Estelle Akofio-Sowah, Regional Manager, CSquared West Africa, urged Ghanaians to be cautious about the information they consume and to always double-check the accuracy of news.
GNA