NCA, Do We Really Need The "Listening Devices"?

Greetings Sheikh Mustapha Hamid,
Honourable Minister, I am posing this particular question to you directly. I am directing this question to you because of how you erroneously described the reasons behind the decision to purchase the equipments ( listening devices). You created the impression that the decision to purchase the equipments was to enable the former administration interfere with privacy of Ghanaians, to listen to private conversations and place surveillance on all Ghanaians. That is not only erroneous, but disingenuous which should not come from somebody I highly respect and admire.

I have not hidden my admiration when it comes to your attitude and composure on the political landscape and stated that strongly on my Facebook wall. I pray Allah guide you to jump over the those wicked traps politicians set for themselves when power gets into their hands.

Mr Minister, I monitored your interviews with some Radio stations this morning and what the Television stations captured which were telecast this evening and must say I am highly disappointed. Listeners and the media houses are less interested in less soothing stories.

The media houses wanting to be first with the news, may invest stories you forward to them with an atmosphere of sensationalism which they ( stories) may not deserve, but which will titillate the taste of the less sophisticated listeners or readers. This was what happened this morning, the desire to sensationalize the story was the major target of the journalist and the media house that first broke the story. On UTV, I detected many distortions in your statement, you deliberately presented a half truth story mixed with mischievous sensationalism to paint the former administration black in the eyes of the public.

HON. MINISTER, NOTE THIS👉🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

The equipment was for a national cyber security purpose; as national security must not always rely on telecos after it has secured a court order to do their ( its) work relating to anti- terrorism, fighting money laundering and other forms of cyber crime. Secondly, National Security did not secure a court order for mass surveillance or for an intricate surveillance of the entire country ( citizens) the target was a fraction of the population in order to monitor their nefarious activities.

Mr Minister, surveillance by our security outfits is not something new, it is being practiced in many countries including the civilised democracies. It is one of the most effective methods used when fighting terrorism, money laundering, cyber crime and other nefarious activities. Using it to violate privacy rights, interfering civil and political rights of law abiding citizens is unacceptable. The last administration was very particular about this principle hence the decision to get court order as the first step.

Ghana is not an endemic surveillance society but the kind of sophisticated crimes recorded in recent times, well planned murder, hacking of devices, swindling of innocent citizens on the net etc call for adequate safeguards against the enumerated abuses. Many countries who have practiced democracy for centuries and are true apostles of the system have already been adding thousands of surveillance cameras etc to their cities, towns and even rural areas. What happened recently in Manchester,should alert us to see the need to discuss this issues devoid of unnecessary political ejaculations. The current President recently touched on this issue from the social media angle and this was what he said 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

http://dailyheritage.com.gh/?p=7365
Per the logic and propaganda you espousing in the media, can I therefore conclude that this administration is going to introduce social media censorship or, hacking into our devices. That is the logic you espousing with the comment you gave when you spoke to the media ( UTV)

Mr Minister, have you received enough briefing from the communication and security ministries on this issue? I am asking you this important question because, what you told the media undermines efforts by the communication ministry and National security to clampdown cyber crime, money laundering etc. The Communication ministry under , Minister Madam Ursula Owusu- Ekuful, the Council of Europe the National Security under Ken Dapaah in collaboration with other stakeholders organised a week- long course on cyber crime and electronic evidence for Judges and prosecutors at the Judicial Training Institute. It shows the importance your government attaches to the fight against these nefarious activities.

Mr Minister, my other worry is this concept of peddling half truth stories in the media and the attitude of sending sensitive stories ( information) to the media without authenticating the stories through wider consultations. We end up prejudicing right to fair hearing, we undermine ongoing investigations and even may end up arming the people we allege have committed crimes against the state. The information you sent out to your media friends were not accurate, half truth stories meant to discredit your opponents ( NDC). Some of the people mentioned in your story have vehemently denied your claims and can confirm are nursing pains.

I will forever support any move to retrieve from past officials or any other Ghanaian, monies or properties wrongly acquired in the name of political power,I support the NDC because of the noble principles and virtues our leaders espoused from 4th June 1979 and will forever champion those values. But I will not fall for cleverly packaged methods ( Machiavelli) to harass innocent citizens just for political convenience, and will not serve as surrogate to or for the propagandists whose only focus and interest is political power.

You are a young politician coming up and will be measured by what you espousing today, that is the reason why you must always struggle to bury the delusion spirit which easily destroy politicians . What you said on UTV confirms the assertion by many that you packaged the lies for an agenda.