Claim: A viral fact card on WhatsApp alleges Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of Ghana and flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), says he will introduce free visas to the United Kingdom (UK), the United States of America (USA), Canada, and European countries.
Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s investigations reveal that Dr Bawumia did not make any such statements attributed to him.
Full Text
Political campaigns have started for Ghana’s election on Dec. 7, 2024. Flag bearers of the major political parties have begun touring the various regions nationwide to connect and promote their political ideologies to their supporters.
Various actors in the information disorder sector have also capitalised on the various campaign tours.
A viral fact card purporting to have come from Media General and bearing the logos of the media platform is making the rounds on WhatsApp. The fact card alleged that Dr Bawumia, flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), would introduce free visas to Ghanaians with Ghana cards in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, and European countries.
“I will introduce free VISA to USA, CANADA, UK, and all the EUROPIAN countries for individuals with ghana card,” the Ghanaian vice president reportedly said.
The flyer was also shared on Facebook here.
DUBAWA decided to investigate this claim to reduce misinformation and disinformation ahead of Ghana’s 2024 election.
Verification
DUBAWA observed that the viral fact card was sourced from Media General and its affiliate stations. However, the researcher did not find the post on any of Media General’s social media handles, and there were no publications on the issue on any of their websites at the time of filing this report.
Also, we contacted Roland Walker, a senior journalist at Media General, to verify the integrity of the purported image in circulation. He described the fact card as ‘fake’ and said it did not originate from Media General.
Additionally, DUBAWA conducted a Google keyword search to see if any media outlet had published such a report. Findings revealed that no reputable media organisation in Ghana had published news articles on the claim. So far, no online evidence supports the claim that Dr Bawumia says “he will introduce free visas for individuals with Ghana cards.”
Further, we contacted Baako Abdul-Wakeel Nantomah at the Office of the Vice President to ascertain whether Dr Bawumia has made such comments on his campaign tour. He described the fact card as a “lie” and asked the public to disregard it.
Conclusion
Dr Bawumia’s claim that there will be free visas for Ghana cardholders to the UK, USA, Canada, and European countries is false. There is no publication by a credible media outlet in Ghana to support that he made the statement attributed to him.
