Ministry Of Communications initiate moves to check cyber crime


Government in partnership with International Communication Union and the Police CID of the Ghana Police Service have set up a Computer Emergency Response Team to detect cyber crime and other suspicious activities on the internet. With this in place, the law enforcement agencies `will be highly equipped to clamp down and deal decisively with persons engaged in fraudulent activities including child pornography. 

The Minister of Communications, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, who made the disclosure, cautioned internet users to desist from cyber fraud and rather use their knowledge base in ICT to impact on others. 

Dr Omane Boamah, said this when he commissioned two Enhanced Community Information Centre, E-CIC, for the people of Pusiga and Tongo in the Upper East Region. 

This brings to 15 out of the 21 E-CIC centres to be constructed across the regions this year. Radio Ghana’s Correspondent Isaac Asare reports that the Provision of the Enhanced Communication Centres is in line with government’s quest to ensuring that ICT becomes the backbone of the country’s educational set up. 

In view of this, government believes that, development can only take place when resources are equitably distributed across the length and breadth of the country, particularly deprived communities. 

The centres which are being constructed at the cost of 470 Thousand Ghana cedis each, will serve as electronic libraries where beneficiary communities can have easy access to computers to enable them research and source information via the internet. With funding through the China Exim Bank loan, the facilities are accompanied by a server room, a computer laboratory, an office for the general manager as well as a conference room and toilet facilities among others.  

The project is a joint effort between the Ministry of Communications and Huawei Technologies Company Limited. The official commissioning of the facilities in Pusiga and Tongo were made possible, having sailed through a difficult selection process.  

At a handing over ceremony held at Pusiga, Communications  Minister, Dr Omane Boamah said the facility was an improvement on a number of information centres provided for some communities in various parts of the country, hence the description, “Enhanced.’’ 

He added that with the provision of the infrastructure, community members were going to be equipped with ICT skills to become digital natives, while serving as a source of revenue generation for the district. He announced plans by government to establish business process out-sourcing centres to complement the E-CIC projects in the coming years.

Dr Omane Boamah said it was in the interest of government to train more youth in ICT and will not renege on its effort in ensuring that IT is embraced by all irrespective of one’s social and educational background. While outlining the various interventions to improve on ICT education, the sector minister reminded Ghanaians, particularly internet users to refrain from internet fraud since adequate steps have been taken to clamp down on their activities.

The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Daniel Syme, urged the people to take ownership of the facility and make good use of it to ensure its lifespan. 

Commissioning a similar facility in Tongo, The Talensi DCE, Edward Awunnore, thanked the government for the gesture, adding that a number of people will be enrolled at the facility to do ICT training. 

The event was attended by dignitaries including the Upper East Regional Minister, James Zuugah Tiiga and the district Director of Education, Joaquim Farrah among other officials from the GES.

GBC