GhanaWeb must avoid provocative cartoons

When the GhanaWeb Team published to introduce Satire Cartoons on their web and wanted users opinion regarding that initiative, I strongly cautioned the Team to make conscious attempt to censor out some of the materials users are allowed to post on the website by blocking provocative, touchy, abusive, bully, tribalistic, aggression, innuendo, etcetera contributions. This is for national security and safety concerns as some of us believe any such uncontrolled acts can potentially cause problems in our society. Besides, this website is tarnishing their image and that of Ghana at large for allowing some unacceptable contributions come to public.

Since the operators appear to be adamant or have in their sleeves set objectives that are met without any regards to ensure that civility is maintained on the website, I then have had another perspective of visiting our national apparatus or system(s) set in place to generally control internet use in the country.

Looking at these considerable amounts of unacceptable materials publish on some Ghanaian-oriented websites, one is compelled to ask why someone not preventing any chaotic results before we blame ourselves. The communication and internet use authorities must as matter of urgency take responsibility to stop the emerging trends I may call ‘misguided free-speech religion’ breeding insidiously beneath our inexperienced internet use structures before Ghana’s internet future is ruined.

Ghanaweb for some reasons, is taking too much liberty as a result of irresponsive behaviours of our internet communication control system to perpetrate and participate in nurturing certain ‘religion’ of hatred and division by posting on their front page in the morning of 10th August, 2013, cartoon which I think Ghanaian authorities must condemn unreservedly until these images are blown on our faces.

Conspicuously, an image with someone holding big knife behind him in a well known religious or cultural apparel, edging a goat on a rope at the neck to come forward whiles the goat resists by saying ‘you think I’m a fool you murderer’ would not need any guesswork to know about what these unacceptable, abusive, tribalistic, monk, inflammatory, touchy, etc. ‘cartoon joke satires’ may result in one day. Must Ghanaweb left to humiliate and play with people’s emotions whilst we sit and stare until our peaceful national security and safety is plummeted into chaos, and then we go ahead and assign blames?

I trust internet is persistently becoming the driving force for communication globally, and the earlier we develop matching control over the use of illicit materials on our internet the better for Ghana’s future. Despite some sources may be unreliable, is no longer news that Ghana is one of the countries noted for cyber fraud worldwide. What are our governing authorities doing about putting prohibitive measures in place to clear our image? What reports have so far been produce to Ghanaians about the state of the nation’s internet and how users must do to be safe? What internet legislation has parliament passed to control the future of our internet? Are the governing authorities really up to the task to ensure the security of our nation’s internet is intact and that we have good value for tax payers monies we spend on them? Cyber front is currently a concern battle field for nations and individuals, how prepared is Ghana?