The KeepItOn, a coalition of over 300 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) across the world, has cautioned the government of Ghana against shutting down access to the internet as the country nears the 2024 general elections.
Reading the coalition’s open letter to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other stakeholders in the election, at a press conference in Accra on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, the Campaign Manager of KeepItOn at Access Now, Felicia Anthonia, indicated that there would be no justification for shutting down the internet.
She said that the coalition has noticed a worrying trend of the internet being shut down in some African countries prior to elections, including Senegal and Mauritania, and prays that the government of Ghana will not follow suit.
The coalition, therefore, called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to openly assure the people of Ghana that access to the internet in the country will not be interfered with before and during the 2024 polls.
“The undersigned members of the KeepItOn coalition urge the government of Ghana, as well as other relevant actors, to publicly assure the people of Ghana that the Internet, including social media and other communication platforms, will remain open, accessible, inclusive and secure before, during and after the elections.
“We call upon the relevant institutions and authorities to refrain from ordering any disruption of telecommunication services, social media platforms or other digital communication platforms throughout the elections. We urge telecommunications companies and ISPs to implement all necessary measures to provide high-quality, secure, unrestricted and uninterrupted Internet access through the election period and beyond, in line with their quality of service and license conditions,” she read from the letter.
She also called on internet providers in the country to inform the people of Ghana about any potential disruption to the supply of internet.
“And then finally, we urge telecommunications companies and ISPs to inform the people of Ghana of any potential technical disruption during the elections and take all reasonable steps to remedy any such disruptions likely to impact their service quality,” she added.
The KeepItOn Campaign Manager also noted that their call for the president to give assurance that there would be no disruptions in the supply of internet before, during, or after the election is not to cause fear and panic among Ghanaians.
She said that the calls are legitimate because access to the internet is key to ensuring that Ghanaians are well-informed in the course of the election.
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