Shelve voter registration exercise - Odike to EC

The leader of the United Front Party (UFP), Mr Kwasi Addae Odike, has appealed to the Electoral Commission (EC) to shelve any idea of compiling a new voters register for the 2020 elections.

He explained that with the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, asking people to queue to register would escalate the spread of the disease since the eagerness in people to register would bring about breaching the social distance protocol, which is part of the measures to fight the pandemic.

He said even if the country was to come out of the woods between May and July, it would not be advisable for the exercise to take place since some people were asymptomatic and could infect other people leading to a new wave of infections.

Wrong timing

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Kumasi, Mr Odike explained that although the EC might have all the resources needed, trained its staff and ready for the exercise, the current state of affairs in the country did not warrant the exercise.

He said although the EC might have good reasons and the legal right to embark on the registration, there was also the need for the commission to consider the interest of the ordinary Ghanaian who could be exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Odike said apart from the general public who would be breaching the social distancing protocol during such an exercise, the EC should also consider its staff and the security personnel who could be exposed to the virus due to the negligence of people at the registration centres.

Media

Mr Odike commended the Ghanaian media for their work and support towards the fight against COVID-19.

He, however, asked that more time be devoted to the education of people to accept the laid down protocols towards the fight against the pandemic.

He also commended the security services and the frontline health personnel for the good job done but said they should not be complacent but continue to work hard towards winning the fight against the pandemic.

Collaboration

Mr Odike wondered why the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) which had called for a total lockdown of the country when Ghana had recorded 123 cases of the disease turned around to support the President’s decision to lift the partial lockdown when the cases had hit the 1,000 mark.

The UFP leader appealed to the government to consider bringing herbal practitioners in the country on board in the fight against the pandemic since it would be good for them to give their support in the search for a cure for the disease.

He explained that although the herbal practitioners might not have the medicine for the disease immediately, their involvement in the search for solution could help them find a potent herbal medicine which might already be available in the country but yet to be discovered.