It was in the right direction as it was reported in the news that the National Peace Council, NPC, had backed a call made by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufu-Addo that the security services would have to collaborate to enforce the COVID-19 safety measures.
“The security agencies must intensify their operations to arrest such recalcitrant members of the public who are flouting the Coronavirus, COVID-19, safety protocols as well as perpetuating crime.”
Mr Charles Ohene Amoh, the Executive Secretary of the Central Region branch of the NPC, stressed that the security agencies must be determined and resolute in discharging their constitutional mandate regardless of one’s sociopolitical status and religious affiliation to serve as a deterrent to others.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Cape Coast, Mr Amoh expressed the Council’s apprehension regarding impunity with which some Ghanaians were surreptitiously and openly flouting the safety protocols.
His comment comes after an upsurge in the number of active cases and the discovery of new variants of the pandemic in the country.
Ghana’s new cases of the novel virus has hit 391 with its active cases risen to 2,178 making its total confirmed cases reaching 58,822.
Meanwhile, 56,286 recoveries have been recorded whiles numbered among the deaths are 358.
A cursor look of the impact of Covid-19 on the Socio-economic lives of Ghanaians is grimly devastating, as almost every sector of the economy has had its adverse impact.
Governments around the globe have vigorously started implementing various fiscal measures to mitigate the adverse effect and provide relief for businesses.
In this connection, On 30 March 2020, Ghana’s Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori Atta delivered a Statement to the Parliament of Ghana on the “Economic Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Economy of Ghana”. The Minister touched on some expected impact of the pandemic on the Ghanaian economy and the fiscal and monetary measures taken by the Government of Ghana to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
However, we at the Ghanaian Watch are of the opinion that if the citizenry stubbornly refuse to observe the Covid-19 safety protocols and continue to blatantly disregard the reality and significant impact of the virus on their lives, the huge investment by the government to reverse the adverse impact of the disease will be in vain.
It is against this backdrop, that we at Ghanaian Watch without any hesitation, would want to back the call for security agencies to strictly apply the law in ensuring that the masses comply with the various preventive measures regarding Covid-19 safety protocols.
Notably, our marketplaces at Urban centers are densely populated and congested with huge human traffic, but sadly the majority of the traders and buyers do not wear their nose mask and observe social distancing.
We think that there should be some preventive measures to enforce social distancing among traders in order to control the transmission of a disease because they provide the essential services from feeding to clothing among others on a daily basis.
One thing as a nation we should not lose sight of the fact is that it is not too expensive to observe these prescribed safety protocols, as compared to loosing precious lives.
We cannot afford to risk jeopardizing the future of our children with truncated or lack of education by resorting to care free lifestyle with total disregard to Covid-19 preventive measures which invariable would enforce the state authorities to impose another lockdown.
We should not continue to be recalcitrant in observing the safety protocols, least we would cause our freedom of movement and right to engage in daily activities to make ends meet to become halt with imposition of lockdown by the President, Nana Akufo Addo.
Ghanaian Watch would want to remind every Ghanaian that our health care system is not robust enough to deal with all the emergency situations or critical cases should in case this pandemic gets out of hand.
We should always be guided by what is happening else where in some developed countries who despite with their robust health care system could not save thousands of their compatriot’s lives, when the virus struck them.
Ghanaian Watch thinks that as a nation we should for once come together in fighting the virus, since the disease does not discriminate against or favor any person in respect to their political colors, religious affiliation or ethnic background or social status.
We should all rally behind the government to fight the virus.
We would at this point want to urge the government not to relent on its effort in creating a conducive environment for the private sector to come out with innovative means including manufacturing vaccines to manage and contend the virus.
Furthermore, we would also want to ask government not to be hesitant in reapply unique strategy in focusing on measures such as the suspension of public gatherings; disinfection of market facilities; strict enforcement of social distancing and good personal hygiene; closure of all land, sea, and air borders to human traffic, when the need arises.
Likewise, we call on the security agencies, especially Ghana Police to intensify their operations to arrest such recalcitrant members of the public who are flouting the Coronavirus COVID-19safety protocols.