The National Cyber Security Centre, (NCSC)at the Ministry of Communications has observed this year’s Africa Safer Internet Day–2020 held at Dansoman in Accra.
The event which was sort to promote safe and responsible use of internet among children and young people was under the theme: “TOGETHER FOR A BETTER INTERNET,”.
It also encouraged a national conversation on online safety for children, which is in line with Ghana’s National Cyber Security Awareness Programme aimed at promoting “A Safer Digital Ghana”.
Addressing the media, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister of Communication said her outfit had for the past three years undertaken several outreach programme to educate children on the functionalities of the digital devices such as the mobile phones and the computers the normally use.
The Ablekuma West legislature said they are going to introduce new Cybersecurity law that would provide a broader internet interactions to give security agencies the power to obtain court order to demand recordings from Telcos operators.
Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful said the ministry has also put in place a service centre to assist children and young people particularly who are unsure of certain information they may come across on the Internet.
On his part, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the area, Mr. George Bray, hinted that safe internet usage was a necessity, and the campaign would help the municipality.
According to him, children were more susceptible to cyber crime, and the awareness creation was therefore appropriate for the municipality.
MCE , of the view that access to internet was crucial, and as a result, the municipality was working hard to promote it, yet there was the need as well to promote it’s safe usage.
“Almost every school in the municipality had a computer laboratory, and once the children were exposed to internet usage, it was critical to education them on it’s safe usage”, he said.
There was float as part of the campaign which saw 500 schools children from the Ablekuma West Municipality taken part started and ended at the St. Augustine Catholic Church at Dansoman in Accra.
Report by Bernard k DADZIE