In the lead-up to the December elections, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians to take extra precautions against the spread of false information.
The president emphasized the need to reject fake news in order to preserve national harmony and togetherness, pointing out that it has the potential to fuel instability during elections.
Speaking to guests during this year’s Eid celebrations in Accra’s Black Star Square, President Akufo-Addo emphasized the need to abstain from supporting or disseminating false information and issued a warning against its spread.
“We are in an election year and in election years, there is a tendency for self-seeking people to exploit our differences of religion and ethnicity to foment division to promote narrow and parochial sectarian and political agendas.
“In an age of information and new media, which also offers people a wide degree of anonymity, we should be careful about the spread of misinformation and disinformation, especially when such misinformation and disinformation destroy the hard-earned reputation of people.”
The president further urged Muslims to uphold and practice Quran chapter 49 verse 6, which states “Oh you who believe, when an evil person comes to you with news, verify it, lest you have people in ignorance and afterwards, becomes regretful of what you have done.”
