By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, Sept. 1, GNA – The Department of Marketing at the Tamale Technical University (TTU) has organised a public lecture aimed at discouraging misinformation and disinformation communication, especially in the run up to the 2024 general election.
The lecture, which attracted key stakeholders from academia, political parties, civil society organisations, youth groups, and students amongst others, was also to rally their support in playing active roles to combat misinformation and disinformation to ensure a peaceful and credible election.
It was on the theme: “Misinformation and Disinformation: The Intersection of Political Marketing and Cyber Security in Ensuring Peaceful and Credible Elections 2024 in Ghana.”
Dr Arnold Mashud Abukari, Senior Lecturer and Head of the Department of Marketing, Tamale Technical University, who made a presentation during the lecture in Tamale on the topic: “Cyber Security: A Pillar of Election Integrity”, emphasised the role of cyber security in protecting the democratic credentials and processes of the country.
He said in the digital age where elections were increasingly mediated by technology, from voter registration and verification systems to social media platforms, cyber security had become a major pillar in ensuring election integrity.
He called for the establishment of clear protocols for information verification and fact-checking to empower citizens with accurate information to counter the impact of false narratives.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf, said the strength of the country rested on the ability of its electoral processes to reflect the true will of the people.
He said, “As we approach the 2024 general election, it is critical that we recognise the fact that malicious actors, both foreign and domestic, may exploit our digital landscape to launch cyber-attacks, hack databases or spread false information.”
Dr Mohammed Abdul-Majeed, Head of Logistics and Procurement Management Department, TTU, called for more vigilance to avoid mayhem and unrest in the upcoming elections.
He encouraged the citizenry to demonstrate patriotism by eschewing all fraudulent methods in the electoral processes.
GNA