<<Print>>

The Executive Director of the West Africa Network for Peace Building (WANEP), Dr. Emmanuel Bombande has bashed Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Executive Director of the Danquah Institute and a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), for inciting passions on the social media. Dr. Emmanuel Bombande chided the NPP mogul over his write up on a social media which he believes has the potency to agitate the masses to threaten the peace of the nation. Gabby took to his facebook page on Monday to register his displeasure with the turn of events in the NPP�s law suit at the Supreme Court. On his wall, he wrote these words: �I predict that if we go on as we are doing, pretending as if these are normal times and taking the silent rage of the masses for granted. Chaos and anarchy, instability and destruction, revolution and counter-revolution shall meet the decision of the Supreme Court. Whether the court rules that John Mahama is the validly elected President of Ghana or Nana Akufo-Addo is the validly elected President of Ghana, trouble shall follow unless�� Dr. Bombande commenting on Gabby�s remarks on Radio Gold, admonished political figures to be wary of their comments on social platforms since the comments can adversely affect the peace of the country. He explained that the political heads who take delight in commenting on national issues via social networks can create mayhem if they do not sift their words. He therefore called on Gabby to be self-disciplined and allow the court to give its verdict on the election case since his social media comments can potentially elicit public anger. Noting that social media avenues are significant tools for mobilizing people, he entreated the NPP stalwart and his cohorts to exercise caution when dealing with the social media, and also advised the parties involved in the Supreme Court case to allow the judicial process to take its course. He expressed that �Ghana is doing great, not just internally but internationally. If there�s anybody or there are any groups of people who in their conduct of the things that they say are beginning to pose any threat to Ghana�s peace�It is a comment that makes assumption on social media, attempts to mobilize people for what completely is not good reason.� He entreated politicians to be levelheaded when they hop onto social media platforms to comment on the pending election case. Reacting to Gabby�s comments, Dr. Bombande cautioned him and others who make such statements to note that �it is in their own good that they refrain from this type of attitude because the world in which we live in today, is not in the 70s or the 80s. And you don�t do these things and get away with them. It comes around and eventually catches up with you.� He described political figures who portray such attitudes as people who �don�t believe in themselves. [No. 2] They don�t believe in the institutions of the state which is the Judiciary that they went to. [No.3] They seek to create the type of mayhem that in my view is closely observed not only in Ghana but also internationally. And it is important that we are very forthright. We are very clear.� According to him, Gabby�s remarks about the NPP�s petition at the Supreme Court amounts to �what I (Dr. Bombande) would call mobilizing a certain public perception which gradually when it continues to be eroded can lead to incitement.�