According to a Deputy Minister of Communications, Mr George Andah, the new law would back the government’s policy that would define child pornography and child online abuse and related matters, as well as criminalise the production, possession, purchase, distribution and advertisement of online child abuse and harmful materials.

Inauguration

Mr Andah disclosed this at a ceremony to officially hand over an enhanced Community Information Centre (eCIC) to the people of Gomoa Aboso in the Gomoa East District in the Central Region last Tuesday.

He stated that the government had taken keen interest in protecting children from online predators, hence the development of the child online protection framework document with the objective of dealing with child online safety in the country.

He said the Ministry of Communications had put in place a number of mechanisms to address issues such as cyber crime, cyber security and abuse of children online.

Supporting ICT

The deputy minister noted that the eCIC would support schoolchildren in the study of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), a vital component in the education curriculum at both the basic and senior high school levels.

He expressed the hope that the pupils would take their studies seriously and see ICT as a medium for greater achievement in future.

He explained that unfortunately, most of the eCICs constructed and handed over to metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) had not served the purposes for which they were built since some had been abandoned by the assemblies.

He, therefore, appealed to the managers of the facility to monitor how it would be used to ensure that its full potential was derived for the benefit of the people in the Gomoa area, and further encouraged them to ensure the sustainability of the project through proper management and maintenance practices.

Internet fraud

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Gomoa East, Mr Benjamin Kojo Otoo, commended the government for bringing ICT education to the doorstep of the people with the construction of the eCIC.

He stated that pupils within Aboso, Benso, Ekroful and Akropong would now heave a sigh of relief since their teachers would use the facility for practical lessons in ICT.

He, however, cautioned the pupils against using the facility to engage in Internet fraud, popularly referred to as ‘sakawa’, since it could be detrimental to their future.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Gomoa Central, Mrs Naana Eyiah Quansah, said the world was now a global village, hence the project would enable residents to connect to all parts of the world without any difficulty.

She urged the residents to take advantage of the project to acquire, as well as improve on their knowledge of ICT.

The Chief of Gomoa Akropong, Nana Odum Amanfo IV, on behalf of the people, expressed gratitude to the government for finally making the facility operational after it was completed many months ago.

He urged the government to make more computers available to schools in the area to enhance the teaching of ICT.

Mr George Andah (middle), a Deputy Minister of Communications, being assisted by Mr Kojo Otoo (2nd left), Gomoa East DCE; Mrs Naana Eyiah Quansah (left), Gomoa Central MP; and other guests to inaugurate the project. INSET: The new eCIC project