Ghana, as a sovereign country, must stand firm against granting total access to its citizens’ data.
An article by Security Expert Emmanuel Avoka of Chicago has raised serious concerns about Ghana and the vulnerability of its people.
We seem to be sleepwalking into a black hole, and that is no fault of ordinary citizens but rather the lawmakers and policy formulators elected or appointed to act in our best interest.
These fine minds, who should serve as gatekeepers for citizens, appear shortsighted and are bowing to multinational corporations, many of whom are sustained by our taxes or are profiting from doing business within our borders.
I agree with virtually every point raised by Mr. Avoka; however, he did not emphasize the severity of the loopholes left by lawmakers, which in effect reduce the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), to a mere document lacking both substance and real protection for the people of Ghana.
As a nation, we must urgently review Act 843 and close the wide-open “side door” introduced by law and policy makers.
The current stipulation that our data can be hosted in another country as long as the recipient claims to have “adequate protection” is deeply flawed. What is the measure of “adequate protection” in the context of Act 843? By leaving this side door open, our most sensitive data, whether financial, medical, Ghana Card, telecom records, or otherwise, can be transferred to any jurisdiction, provided we are told that “adequate protection” exists.
Ghanaians must wake up and demand full transparency on how and where our data is stored.
Mr. Avoka rightly mentioned the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), a government body with the capacity to support the nation’s digital infrastructure needs. Yet unless the loophole in Act 843 is closed, NITA risks becoming a white elephant and a waste of taxpayers’ money.
Our politicians and policy makers must prioritize the interests of the people, not those of multinationals. Our institutions must be strengthened, not bypassed, due to weak governance and poor oversight.
The good people of Ghana must come first.
Our data is our identity, and it must be guarded with the same vigilance as our national borders.
Sankofaonline.com
