We mustn’t shutdown Social Media – Bombande

shutting down social media on Election Day will not be the panacea to irresponsible behavior and security breaches on voting day, deputy foreign affairs minister-designate Emmanuel Bombande has said. The merit and demerits of social media has taken center stage in many public discussions in recent times after the IGP John Kudalor revealed that he will explore shutting down the virtual service if need be, in order to ensure smooth elections. He said, however, that the move will be the last option as the police explore ways to ensure violence polls on December 7. Commenting on the matter, the former director of the West Africa Network for Peace Building told the Appointment Committee of parliament that the nation should rather be exploring ways to make Ghanaians more responsible on social media than to shut it up. “I would not advise that we shut down social media but that does not mean in my advise that I do not recognize the potential danger it presents. I’m looking more at the potential benefits. What we need to do is to establish the mechanism that makes the use of social media a tool of more responsibility, that’s on all of us rather than shut it down. “When you shut it down and later you open it you are indirectly telling people to continue to be irresponsible. There is a wondrous responsibility on all of us that every tool that is available should be used responsibly. What that means is that our re-humanisation as a people, as Ghanaians, rooted in our traditional values and cultures, of respect for our leaders, right down to all levels particularly amongst our young people and that is what begins to make the transformation and takes them away from the irresponsible use of social media,” he said.

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