Ghana IntelBrief
Back to Latest Briefings
It’s not govt’s business to use ID cards to control people’s consumption of porn – Kofi Bentil
June 6, 2026
AI-Enhanced

It’s not govt’s business to use ID cards to control people’s consumption of porn – Kofi Bentil

Policy

Key Points

  • Kofi Bentil of IMANI Africa criticizes Ghana's proposal to require national IDs for accessing pornographic websites.
  • He argues against government regulation of private consumption, comparing it to the failed US alcohol prohibition which empowered organised crime.
  • Bentil emphasizes that parental responsibility, not government intervention, is crucial for guiding children's online behaviour and moral development.
  • He warns that creating new regulatory bureaucracy for this purpose could lead to oppression and abuse of the national ID system.
  • Bentil suggests the government should focus on more pressing cybercrimes like romance fraud and views the proposal as political "grandstanding."

Why This Matters

This discussion is significant for Ghana as it delves into fundamental questions about the scope of government power, individual privacy, and digital rights in an increasingly connected society. It also highlights the debate over the most effective approach to safeguarding children online and whether the government's proposed solution is practical, necessary, or an overreach that could lead to unintended consequences and misuse of national identification infrastructure.

Read Full Article

View original source

Related Articles

Ghana IntelBrief

February 20, 2025

Government, labour agree on 10% base pay increase for 2025
  • The Ghanaian government and organised labour have agreed on a base pay increase for public sector workers.
  • This increment will be effective from January to December 2025.
  • The daily minimum wage has been raised to GH₵19.97 as part of the agreement.
  • This follows a 23% salary adjustment in 2024 and ongoing demands from labour unions to address economic pressures.
  • This marks another wage adjustment in less than a year for public sector employees.
Read full briefing

NEIP directs all staff to stay home amid salary and employment disputes

February 23, 2025

NEIP directs all staff to stay home amid salary and employment disputes
  • The National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) has directed all staff to refrain from reporting to work starting Monday, February 24th.
  • This instruction is due to ongoing legal and administrative concerns regarding staff employment and salary payments.
  • NEIP management stated that legal complexities prevent the use of operational funds to cover monthly staff allowances.
  • All employment-related issues must now be addressed through appropriate legal channels to avoid further complications.
  • Staff members are also mandated to return all company property by Tuesday, February 25th, with failure to do so considered as theft.
Read full briefing

Xenophobic Attacks: “It is painful, but let’s not retaliate” – Okudzeto Ablakwa reiterates

June 6, 2026

Xenophobic Attacks: “It is painful, but let’s not retaliate” – Okudzeto Ablakwa reiterates
  • Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, urged Ghanaians not to retaliate against South Africans living in Ghana.
  • The appeal comes amidst ongoing xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa.
  • Ablakwa described the attacks as painful and deeply concerning, particularly for those who believe in continental unity.
  • He stressed that retaliation would undermine African brotherhood and Ghana's leadership role on the continent.
  • The Minister called for tolerance and restraint, advocating for diplomatic efforts to resolve the xenophobic incidents.
Read full briefing