Pressure To Open Churches …Gov’t Consulting On Ban

Despite growing public pressure on the Nana Akufo-Addo-led government to open churches and mosques, the government says it is not in a hurry to lift the ban on public gatherings.

According to President Nana Akufo-Addo, some circumstances and conditions have to be carefully considered before doing so.

The ban on social gatherings is still in force, despite the lifting of the three-week partial lockdown imposed on Accra, Kumasi, Tema and Kasoa.

Ban

The President cited “conferences, workshops, funerals, parties, nightclubs, drinking spots, beaches, festivals, political rallies, religious activities and sporting events” as part of activities still banned in Ghana.

Though all educational facilities are also to remain closed, the President said: “businesses and other workplaces can continue to operate, observing staff management and workplace protocols with the view to achieving social distancing and hygiene protocols.”

But the president at a meeting with members of the Council of State at the Jubilee House yesterday said he is aware of the impact of the closure of schools, churches and mosques.

Nana Addo said he is however still holding consultations with key stakeholders including members of the Council of State to conclude on the next line of action as far as the ban is concerned.

“There are still very important measures in place that are impacting the daily lives of our people. How long can we keep the churches closed? How long can we keep the mosques closed? What about our schools? When are they going to be able to resume? What are the circumstances and conditions that we have to see being satisfied before those measures can be taken?”

“There are very critical steps that we all have to think about. The present situation, the emergency cannot be a permanent feature of our national life.  We have to at some stage confront the future and how we will address that future. I think at all those critical points, you have an important input to make. There are some amongst who have been reaching out to me on an individual basis but I have not had the opportunity for this collective meeting between the President and his Council of State,” he said.

Praises

Chairperson of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Sriboe II who was full of praise for the president applauded him for the able manner in which he handled the crisis adding that “your regular broadcasts have really brought a lot of encouragement to the country, and, as if by design or accident, the cloth that you have been wearing has been depicting the mood of the country at that time.”

Expressing the delight of the Council at the establishment of the COVID-19 National Trust Fund, Nana Otuo Sriboe II suggested the decentralization of the collection of funds, “so that somebody in an outlandish part of the country can also contribute perhaps through the DCE or the MCE so that his name too will be in the annals of those who came up to support the nation in times of crisis.”

With the Council of State having made a donation of 300,000 examination gloves, a sizeable quantity of surgical masks, and other equipment, the Council of State Chair commended the efforts being made by the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service, and all other frontline actors in the struggle.

“I think the fact of the members of the Council of State adorning face masks is an indication that face masks have become a part of the regime of the combat against the virus. We have to accept that this will also mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 and as much as we appreciate the integrity and the good intentions of the trustees of the COVID trust fund, we may make a small suggestion in effect if we could go out there to have the facemask sewn in millions so that every Ghanaian will have the privilege of donning a face mask,” he said.

Nana Otuo Sriboe II continued, “They will be for free, but others may take it and put in a token gesture of some amount as their part of the effort to prevent COVID. I think this will be a better substitute than giving food which may not be going to the intended destination and even negates the principles of social distancing, because if you have face masks and you get closer, distributing the face masks will go a long way to fight the spread.”

Effects

The cumulative effect of the novel coronavirus pandemic has already been estimated at GH¢9.505 billion after the halting of activity in most sectors of the economy.

The worst-hit businesses are expected to benefit from a stimulus package from the government.

Parliament’s has given the Minister of Finance the green light to make use of the GH¢ 1.2 billion Contingency Fund to lessen the toll of the pandemic on the economy.

Parliament also approved a $1 billion IMF Rapid Credit Facility in this regard.

The strain on businesses has led observers to urge the government to be mindful of the economic casualties as well as the business ones.