Ms. Josephine Nkrumah (3rd left) addressing the press conference. With her are Dr. Frank Ankobea (2nd left), Mr. Samuel Asare Akuamoah (3rd right), Deputy Chairman of the NCCE, and some other dignitaries. Picture: ESTHER ADJEI

Politicians urged to ensure COVID-19 protocols are followed on campaign trails

Chris Nunoo Politics Oct - 14 - 2020 , 10:21 2 minutes read

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) have raised serious concern about the wide-scale public disregard for the COVID-19 protocols.

They mentioned political actors as some of the worse offenders and warned that a second wave of infections would be a prospect that could derail the successes chalked in dealing with the disease so far.

At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the two institutions called on political parties and presidential and parliamentary aspirants to adopt innovative strategies to carry out their campaigns so as to minimise the exposure of the populace to the virus.

Dangers

The Chairperson of the NCCE, Mrs. Josephine Nkrumah, said the country could not go through successful elections in December only to emerge with a second wave of the pandemic based on the widespread disregard for the safety protocols.

She, therefore, reiterated the need for continued public education through concerted efforts by the government and the media.

Flanked by the national executives of the GMA and other members of the Commission, Ms. Nkrumah observed that the mandatory wearing of face masks, washing of hands and regulation limiting the number of people at public gatherings were not being observed while public transport, shops, mosques, churches and offices had also abandoned the use of Veronica buckets for handwashing.

“Politicians and their followers’ disregard for the protocols has emboldened citizens to disregard the protocols,” she said and reminded all and sundry that the corona virus was still around.

Legislation

While calling on the political parties to be measured in their activities, the NCCE Chairperson questioned the relevance of the legislation on the protocols of COVID-19 if the country was not ready to commit to them.

She urged the GPRTU and other transport organisations to enforce the mandatory wearing of face masks and also called on the police to enforce the rules in relation to COVID-19.

As at today, Ms. Nkrumah said, the country had recorded a total of 47, 097 cases with 46, 452 recoveries, 337 active cases and 308 deaths.

In his remarks, the President of the GMA, Dr. Frank Ankobea said, “ We are not prophets of doom but we must be very careful and stick to the protocols”.

He said: “As long as we do not have the vaccine, the only solution now is to observe the protocols”.