Queenmothers have been advised to champion the fight against misinformation and disinformation at all levels.
Speaking at a workshop for queenmothers from the Volta and Oti Regions, Country Representative of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana Office, Anna Lena Sabroso-Wasserfall, explained that the rapid spread of false information posed serious risks to communities and national cohesion.
As a result, she said queenmothers, trusted custodians of local life, were uniquely positioned to restore clarity and calm by taking an active interest in combating misinformation and disinformation.
“Misinformation and disinformation create confusion about what is true and what is false.
They can damage reputations, influence elections, fuel ethnic or political tensions, and even lead to violence. In a society where information spreads very quickly — especially through social media — false stories often travel faster than facts.”
“This is why your role as trusted custodians of your communities is so essential,” she said, adding that people trusted the authority of queenmothers not only because of their position, but because of their integrity, wisdom and closeness to the people.
Training
The training workshop was on the theme, “Combating disinformation and misinformation: the role of queenmothers in ensuring good governance”.
It was designed to offer practical tools to help the traditional leaders to address misinformation and disinformation.
It was jointly organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Ghana Office and the National Queenmothers Ghana, Volta and Oti Region Chapters.
It was chaired by the Paramount Chief of the Anfoega Traditional Area and President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, Togbe Tepre Hodo IV.
The chairman admonished the participants to fight for representation at all levels of the traditional sector.
“As far as my queenmothers are concerned, I want to urge you to fight for representation at all levels of our traditional sector.”
There is no doubt that queenmothers play critical roles at both traditional and national levels, and it’s high time Ghana recognised this fact,” he said.
Threat
The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, stated that misinformation and disinformation were a threat to national security and must be dealt with.
“Anytime there is disinformation and misinformation, it threatens the very foundation of our democracy and causes disunity among the people.”
As such, this is a canker that we must all fight and I am happy the queenmothers have been taken through such vital sessions on tackling it in our communities,” he said.
For her part, the Paramount Queenmother of the Sokpoe Traditional Area in the South Tongu District in the Volta Region, Mamaga Adzesu II, stated that the workshop would empower them to have a positive impact in their communities.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
