Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu has warned that the growing spread of disinformation poses a serious threat to Ghana’s democracy, national security and public health.
Speaking at an event held at the residence of the British High Commissioner to mark World Press Freedom Day on May 6, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said Ghana is facing an “information integrity” crisis fuelled by fake news, doctored content and politically motivated misinformation.
“We now live in an age where a single falsehood can travel around the world in seconds while the truth is still putting on its shoes.”
Warning Over Deepfakes and False Campaigns
Mr Kwakye Ofosu described coordinated disinformation campaigns, deepfakes and clickbait falsehoods as dangerous tools capable of inflaming political and ethnic tensions.
According to him, the spread of false information is weakening public trust in institutions.
“When people can no longer distinguish between truth and falsehood, confidence in institutions begins to decline.”
“And once institutions are weakened, democracy itself becomes vulnerable.”
Rejects Censorship as Solution
The Government Spokesperson cautioned against using censorship to fight misinformation, saying it could deepen public mistrust.
“Censorship only fuels suspicion and pushes information into hidden spaces.”
He noted that government is instead focusing on timely and accurate communication through official channels and media engagements.
“That is why the government communication office that I lead has worked to proactively put out accurate information in a timely manner.”
Support for Press Freedom
Mr Kwakye Ofosu also reaffirmed government’s commitment to press freedom and responsible journalism.
“Journalism is not the enemy of governments. Good journalism is actually an ally.”
Growing Global Concern
His remarks come amid rising global concerns over the impact of disinformation on elections, governance, public safety and public trust.
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