Ayariga supports social media block; calls for a month's ban
The founder and leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), Mr Hassan Ayariga has thrown support for a proposal by the police to block social media on Election Day.
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In a radio interview on Wednesday, Mr Ayariga said if even the Inspector General of Police (IGP) wants to block it for a whole month, he would support it.
Speaking on Accra based Okay FM, Mr Ayariga said individuals ought to have a commitment to peace and for that he “fully supports this course.”
"One day of switching off your data, it shouldn't be a problem, because at times you wake up a whole day and your own data goes off without you knowing, you turn the data, it won't work, you don't complain. you don't call the service providers to complain," he said.
The Ghana Police Service last week hinted that it was considering blocking social media services in the country on November 7, the day of the general election to avoid violence.
According to the IGP, Mr John Kudalor, the abuse of social media platforms by both political parties and ordinary Ghanaians had often created "unnecessary" tension in the country and that given the strain that preparations towards the elections was putting on the country’s security agencies, it would be unwise to ignore the potential of social media as a critical point for violence.
“At one stage I said that if it becomes critical on the eve and also on the Election Day, we shall block all social media as other countries have done. We’re thinking about it,” the IGP said.
The disclosure by the IGP has elicited varied comments with many opposing the move arguing that it was going to be a dent on Ghana’s democracy.
Mr Ayariga is vying to become president of Ghana on the ticket of the APC, which he recently formed.
Ccommenting on the development, he said he fully supports the move and that the IGP should go ahead and block social media on Election Day..
“At times a whole day, you turn on your data and it won’t work, you don’t complain, you don’t call the service providers and say look my data is off and for that matter you have to do…. Even MTN, sometimes you call a friend and it will tell you that the mobile phone you are calling is switched off, meanwhile it would not be switched off. Do you complain? For God’s sake Ghanaians, what the IGP is saying is for the sake of our peace. We cannot just have peace without paying for the price,” he said.
"I want to be president and nobody can rule a burning nation [sic] ...so lets all be committed to the peace that we are talking about," he said.