I caused closure of fake Twitter accounts in my name – Godfred Dame

Social media, especially Facebook and Twitter, has become a crucial mouthpiece for most politicians with a sizeable number of them operating verified accounts on both platforms.

More often than not, politicians have used social media to put out information or news updates, contributed their views on topical national issues or even raise those issues.

For others, they debunk fake news or clarify news about what they have been purported to have said or not said. But whiles some actively leverage on social media, others have largely stayed off, for reasons best known to them.

Even for those that on these platforms, a person is likely to find multiple ‘clone’ accounts in their names which has caused a number of politicians to issue disclaimers alerting the public to use particular accounts and to discard all others.

The most recent incidence is of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, who through the Ministry of Finance issued a statement disowning all social media accounts bearing his details.

Earlier this week, his fellow cabinet minister, Godfred Dame, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, disclosed that he did not use social media whiles admitting the positive and or negative impact that fake accounts could wreak in public discourse.

Dame, said he had caused social media accounts in his name to be investigated and closed down weeks ago after false news went round that he had some comments on the succession plan of the National Chief Imam.

“Surprisingly, about three days after the visit (of a cleric at a meeting he purportedly made the succession comments), I saw reported Twitter publications. I do not even use social media at all. I do not have Facebook account, I do not have a Twitter account so I was quite surprised.

“… in the course of that, I caused investigations to be done and the Twitter account was closed,” he stressed.

On the mater of the controversial sucession comments, he clarified that it was a internal religious affair that the government had no business meddling in.

“So I would like to assure the National chief Imam, that the government does not involve itself in determining who the head of any mission or any faith is in the country. Indeed it will amount to what we call in law, excessive entanglement of state and religion if that were to be the case,” he added.

Dame and a team from the AG’s office had paid a courtesy visit to Imam Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu on May 18, 2021 when he made the comments.