Akufo-Addo’s lifting of restrictions on movement is politically motivated – Sammy Gyamfi

The Communications Director of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Sammy Gyamfi has described the decision by President Akufo-Addo to lift the lockdown on Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi despite the increase in coronavirus cases in Ghana is political.

He said the move aims at allowing the Electoral Commission (EC) compile a new voter’s register for the December poll.

“It is clearly politically- motivated decision, calculated to allow the EC the space to undertake its entranced and illogical determination to compile a new voter’s register for the 2020 General Elections and nothing more”, he stated
President Akufo-Addo announced the lifting of the 3-week lockdown on the aforementioned cities with effect from Monday, April 20.

He made the announcement when he addressing the Nation on Sunday, April 19, 2020 on the latest development in the bid to curtail the spread of the COVID 19 in the county.

Reacting to the President’s announcement on his on Facebook wall, Mr Gyamfi said the president’s decision is to place political expediency ahead of Public safety.

He further questioned the basis for the lockdown in the first place, “Either than that, why will President Akufo-Addo impose a partial lockdown with the objective of halting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, at a time we had only recorded 137 cases across just four (4) regions of the country and with 5 deaths, but turn around to lift the partial lockdown, at a time our positive case count has galloped to 1,042, across ten (10) regions and with nine (9) deaths?, ” he wrote in a statement on Facebook.

He added that countries with far lower cases have not lifted or relaxed their lockdown restrictions. “Yet, we who are currently the country with the highest COVID-19 cases in West Africa, have against expert advice, lifted our partial lockdown. Doesn’t this defy science and commonsense?

He stressed that the President’s decision is a reckless political gamble that portends great danger for this nation.
“President Akufo-Addo’s decision to lift the lockdown at this crucial time, is a reckless political gamble that portends great danger for this nation. Ghanaians must never forgive him if this unimaginable decision exacerbates our COVID-19 situation. The blame for any fatality that is occasioned by this reckless decision must lie squarely with the President” he said.

Read the statement below: