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A Security Analyst, Irbad Ibrahim has waded into the argument surrounding the shutting down or maintaining all social media platforms during the November 7 polls as raised by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to prevent unwarranted calamity which may arise.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), John Kudalor, on May 26, 2016, declared that the Ghana Police Service was considering blocking social media across the country on November 7, an utterance that has received total condemnation.

It is due to this argument that Ghanaian born Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWA), Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, has indicated strongly that the UN would not endorse any attempts to ban social media in Ghana during elections.

Dr. Ibn Chambas agreed with the critics of such a ban, saying that any possible ban will restrict the democratic space and curtail freedom of expression.

“I should say without hesitation that from a UN point of view, we would be obviously averse to any steps that will be taken to restrict the freedom of expression,” he emphasised.

Dr. Ibn Chambas, whilst acknowledging that social media, “for good or for bad”, are some of the modes of expression of free speech in democratic societies, cautioned that “a total ban would obviously not be something the UN would encourage.”

But the Security Analyst, Irbad Ibrahim on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show insisted the move by the IGP to ban social media temporary during the November 7 polls is in the right direction as this will prevent fabricated reportage on the election results and also prevent the possibility of using the social media to incite the youth to cause violence.

He stressed that he disagrees with the directive of the UN through Dr. Ibn Chambas, urging National Security to maintain social media during the elections; reiterating that it will be difficult for the police to trap those who will publish false report on the elections as social media allow individuals to create fake accounts with fake identities.

“I disagree with the UN on its directive, because social media has the tendency of causing troubles during the elections as we have witnessed people succeeding in faking government letter head to publish a fake government reshuffle to the extent that reputable media houses conducted interviews on this fake social media publication,” he indicated.

“We must swallow the bitter pill and shut down social media from the evening of November 6 and reopen on November 8 after the results have been officially declared by the EC. This will not affect the country in any way but help prevent possible chaos which may arise,” he suggested.