In response, leading education policy think tank Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has issued an urgent directive, calling on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to immediately retrieve all tablets distributed to Senior High School (SHS) students and install robust safety controls.

The demand follows the minister’s disclosure in Parliament on Thursday, confirming that the devices—intended strictly for academic work—were being misused for inappropriate content. The government had targeted the distribution of about 83,000 tablets nationwide as part of efforts to enhance digital literacy in secondary schools.

The Retrieval Mandate

Eduwatch argues that the absence of UNESCO-approved safety features and firewalls on the devices from the onset has turned a positive educational tool into a major risk for students.

The organisation insists that retrieving the tablets is the only way to protect students from harmful online content and restore the devices’ intended academic purpose.

Kofi Nkansah Sarkodie, Project Management Specialist at Eduwatch, urged the GES to take swift, centralised action.

“Those tablets have already been procured and distributed. We recommend that GES retrieve them and ensure that the safety measures are fully implemented.”

He further outlined a practical and scalable approach for addressing the situation.

“Retrieval can be done at the school level, and the necessary safeguards must be deployed. The devices are intended for academic purposes only, to support students’ learning, and not for any other activity.”

Securing the Digital Classroom

Eduwatch emphasised that any technological intervention must prioritise the protection of minors. This includes installing strong Mobile Device Management (MDM) software to allow central administrators to control applications, block inappropriate websites, and monitor device usage in line with child online protection standards.

The think tank maintains that retrieving and reconfiguring the tablets is crucial—not only to shield students but also to safeguard the multi-million Ghana cedi investment in the devices.

With growing public concern, the GES now faces significant pressure to undertake a nationwide recall and secure thousands of tablets, ensuring that the country’s push for digital transformation in education does not escalate into a larger public safety crisis.

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Under the Free SHS Digitalization Initiative, the government plans to distribute about 1.3 million tablets nationwide, with approximately 980,000 already delivered. The devices are intended to host curriculum materials and support effective teaching and learning.

However, the Minister revealed that some of the tablets are yet to be fully customised with restrictions, making it possible for students to use them for unintended and inappropriate purposes, including accessing sexually explicit material. He assured Parliament that measures are being taken to properly secure the devices and ensure they serve their intended academic purpose.

Meanwhile, Pru East MP Emmanuel Lord Boam highlighted concerns over rising examination malpractices, urging the government to implement innovative measures to curb the trend. He stressed the need for systems that support students’ academic progress rather than hinder it.

The Education Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding students’ digital learning environment and ensuring the tablets contribute meaningfully to educational outcomes.

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Prophet Kumchacha expressed his dismay during a recent appearance on Accra-based Okay FM, where he lamented the diminishing presence of physical Bibles in favour of smartphones among congregants, a shift he says has inadvertently facilitated access to explicit content.

“Now people don’t come to church with Bibles. All they come along with is their phones. You’ll be shocked to note that while you ask for quotations, people will be watching pornography on their phones,” Kumchacha remarked.

He emphasized the need for vigilance and discernment among worshippers, cautioning against the temptation to engage in activities inconsistent with the sanctity of the church environment.

While recognizing the advancements of the modern world, Kumchacha emphasized the importance of upholding moral standards and preserving the sacredness of religious gatherings.

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Enforcers are working to stamp out foreign television, hair cuts and even birthday parties, according to testimony from a defector included in a new report.

The squads, known as ‘gruppa’ or ‘non-socialist groups’, are tasked by Pyongyang to pursue violations of the Communist Party’s official ideology.

‘The groups operate as a hidden tool, which is used by the government to achieve their ultimate objectives of ubiquitous surveillance and the ability to thoroughly oversee each and every resident,’ the report says.Foreign media, particularly anything deemed to be ‘Western’, is strictly prohibited in North Korea – which brainwashes its population to unquestionably support Kim Jong Un and his ruling regime. Any dissent is severely punished.

The dictator views South Korea as an American puppet state, and is highly sensitive to any of its media crossing the border from China, fearing the influence it may have.

For some time now, any sign that someone may have been consuming media from the South has resulted in brutal consequences.

Now, according to the report by the Database Centre for North Korean Human Rights (NKDB) based in Seoul, Kim is tightening his grip even more with the gruppa.

Citizens are being prosecuted for anything from defection, drug dealing, smuggling and begging, to being absent from work, traffic offences, adultery, dying one’s hair, religious practices and taking part in ‘decadent culture’ – which can include parties.

‘It is worse than the Kim Jong Il era,’ one testimony quoted in the report said. 

‘The border has become tighter, more barbed wire fences have been installed. Also, there were instructions to directly fire at any person crossing the border.

‘[…] I’ve heard about people being shot for distributing impure cultural contents. There was one person who was executed for watching pornography and prostituting at his place after Kim Jong Un took office.’

North Koreans visit and pay respect to the statues of late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang, North Korea Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023 on Lunar New Year

‘First they check how you dress. Then what type of music you listen to, what videos you watch, whether you have dyed your hair […] You cannot have a birthday party as a group,’ the defector said, according to the report.

‘They keep saying not to have gatherings and drink alcohol because when people are drunk, they will end up singing one or two South Korean songs for sure.’

The report said that the secret informants are becoming increasingly preoccupied with the smuggling and distribution of South Korean media. 

Outlawed songs, movies and television shows such as ‘Squid Game’ or ‘Crash Landing on You’ are sometimes smuggled into the country on USB flash drives. 

One of the methods used by the ‘non-socialist groups’ is to cut off power to the homes of people suspected of watching banned media, and therefore preventing them from removing DVDs of videotapes from the payer and hiding their ‘guilt’.

Punishments range from demotion at work, being fired, or even sent to a re-education or labour camp. In the most extreme cases – such as being found to have been watching pornography – people could be executed by firing squad.

‘If you consume sexual media content in North Korea, you are either punished with a lifetime term of “reform through labour” or even executed by firing squad. Watching typical South Korean or American material will lead to a sentence of fewer than ten years of ‘reform through labour,’ according to another defector’s testimony. 

Earlier this month, it was reported that four students were expelled from university and forced to work in a coal mine because they sounded as if they had been watching too much foreign TV, by using accents or phrases from the South.

It is believed the students likely picked up the way of speaking through watching media outlawed by the ruling party.

In December 2020, North Korea brought in the Rejection of Reactionary Thought and Culture Act, which punishes citizens with up to two years of hard labour for those who are caught speaking, writing or singing in a South Korean style.

The tough punishment of hard labour could be up to 15 years, while residents who are caught distributing foreign media content face the death penalty.

It was under this law that two teenagers were executed in October for selling USB drives containing South Korean TV shows or films. They were killed by firing squad.

The pair, both boys thought to be aged between 16 and 17, were shot on an airfield in front of terrified locals in the city of Hyesan, on the border with China. The news of their deaths only emerged two months later in December.

A third boy of the same age was executed alongside them for murdering his stepmother, with locals told the crimes were ‘equally evil’ as media distribution.

The ruling Communist regime uses informants recruited from the general population in order to catch those selling the drives, and report them to the authorities.

In the case of the two teenagers, one of these spies reported them for hawking thumb drives containing the programmes in the local marketplace.

Such executions are rare in North Korea but not unheard of, and are typically used to terrify people into obedience when authorities are worried about rule-breaking.

North Korean youth caught watching foreign movies face being sent to a disciplinary labour centre, one source in Hyesan said.

A second offence means being sent to a correctional camp for five years along with their parents, as punishment for failing to discipline their children.

But anyone caught distributing or selling South Korean movies can face the death penalty, even if they are minors, the source added.

In December 2021, it was reported that at least ten civilians in the previous decade had been killed by firing squad for watching South Korean content.

It has also been reported that some officials were executed with anti-aircraft guns.

The singer who has in the last few years weaned herself from her five-year-marriage, said at a point, she was overshadowed by the urge of self-pleasure.

She attributed the acts as a sin against the flesh and a major temptation the devil uses in luring the children of God.

However, she said she has found by grace, and since then she has not had the urge for self-pleasure.

“I was a big masturbator and porn watcher but grace found me. Praise Jesus. If you’re like that and want deliverance, Jesus is the answer.”

For those who do not see masturbation as a sin, iOna opined that they are living in deceit and are under spiritual arrest.

The midwife indicated that “thinking masturbation is a way of self discovery is deceit. People say they do it to be able to know their bodies, but it’s a sin”.

she urged people who are battling with the acts to avoid sexual practices and seek refuge in the presence of God.

The man, whose name is not immediately known, is said to have gained unlawful access to the electronic billboard and proceeded to stream pornography on it.

It was gathered that the LED board, situated around Garrison area in Port Harcourt, was swiftly shut off after pedestrians lodged a complaint.

Prior to that, series of drivers and commuters had gathered around the billboard with some feasting their eyes with the obscene material.

The said owner of the billboard space issued a statement vowing to deal with the culprit.

Meanwhile, the suspect has been fished out and arrested by persons believed to be security officials.

In videos which is in circulation, the mid-adult was seen being dragged around as he pleads with the officials.

He is set to face prosecution.

Prophet Opambour has been tasked by the Film Classification Committee (FCC) to provide documents for all his in-house content by the close of Monday, September 10.

This is after some pornographic contents shown on his Prophet One TV caught the attention of management of FCC.

In a letter served to him, FCC stated that Prophet Opambour, while hosting his show, displayed sexual scenes between a fetish priest and a person purported to be a client.

This, the Committee said, is content that is not appropriate for free-to-air television.

Prophet Opambour is liable to facing punishments in accordance with the Offence and Penalties Act in Section 27 of the Development and Classification of Films Act 935.

The founder and leader of the Heaven’s Gate Ministries claimed fans of Patapaa, the Swedru-based musician are threatening to rape him should he go ahead to seek the injunction.

The man of God will be praying the court to place an injunction on the song to stop all radio and television stations across the country from playing the song.

The dance and song, currently the biggest song in Ghana, has seen people go gaga by either perching on whatever object is before them, go under cars, chairs or whatever while others isolate themselves on the ground to do a wild gyrating moves.

Some entertainment personalities including Funny Face and actor Kwaku Manu have all recorded videos dancing to the song.

The song and dance craze have transcended the shores of the country with Nigerian music star Reekado Banks and Falz all dancing to it.

In spite of the song being internationally recognized, Prophet Kumchacha in an interview on Kofi TV said it is encouraging promiscuity.

But whiles Prophet Kumchacha is lacing his boots to court, he said some women claiming to be girlfriends of Patapaa have bombarded his mobile phone with their naked videos.

The motive is to ‘sexually bribe’ him to rescind his decision for them to enjoy the ‘One Corner’ song.

“The women sent me naked videos seducing me to have sex with them. Prophet Kumchacha come and chop in fact I’m threatened” he bemoaned.

Prophet Kumchacha said though chiefs, government officials and opinion leaders in Swedru have called on him not to go to court, he has placed on injunction on ‘One Corner’ song spiritually.

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