Opinions of Tuesday, 14 April 2020
Columnist: Shadrach Appiah, Contributor
For one to have thought Nana Addo could do nothing to prevent COVID-19 from getting into Ghana is very mindbogling. COVID-19 isn't mandated to be in every country but for the carelessness and indecision of our president.
As I write, there are countries which have not recorded positive cases yet, with others only recording imported cases. Citizens in such countries wake up and continue with their usual routine without lock down, no military brutalities, no fear and panic, no adverse social economic effects on their economy, no sugarcoated words from their President and Ghana could have been one but Nana Addo whom incompetence is too romantic to describe failed to shield us.
He allowed us to be strike by the spear and suddenly appear to nurse our wounds. It even appeared as Government was the one propagating ignorance that the disease cannot affect the black race because from all indications, nothing was done to prevent the disease. Is only after the enemy has strike that Nana Addo is portraying to have our interest at heart.
A clear evidence is when government is going back to records to trace those who entered the country before March 13th, what if a positive COVID-19 patient entered Ghana and attended the independence day on the 6th March, how do we do the contact tracing. One may have contracted the disease it and send to his village, it is for this reason why all health officials must benefit from the 50% basic salary allowance because health workers in the village are also at risk of contracting the disease in the course of their work. The definition of front line workers on my mind.
In times like this we look out for leaders who are proactive, competent and visionary not a situation where we need funds to urgently fight a course and you pledge 3months salary which can only be deducted at the end of the month. Is it an indirect way to secure your May and June salary if say COVID-19 ends in April?
Is upon this conviction that Grandpa says he is also growing his Cocoa and will later harvest it to raise funds to help fight Corona virus. We are dying and Nana Addo is promising money he has not worked for in the future.
Up till now, government is only depending on donated PPE's and haven't been able to procure some.
There is a saying in twi that goes "s3 )kwan no anka wo dan aaa wose contractor no y3 good" If your business is collapsing, if you are locked down without basic necessities, if you were the one killed in Ashaiman or you have been directly affected by COVID-19, which was occasioned by Nana Addo's negligence and you are at the point of death, you would realize that no amount of crafted words, no intervention, no tax waiver, no allowance or any freebie is so important. We are suffering from COVID-19 because of the recklessness, lack of productiveness and insensitivity by our President hence incompetent is too romantic to describe him.
I would like cease this opportunity to thank all those helping in diverse ways to combat COVID-19 and also thank John Mahama for establishing the stabilization fund (which the government is relying on now) securing the Onuado van and Ayalolo buses which is playing a crucial role in the fight against COVID-19 and establishing the Contingency fund which NPP has depleted the account not for it purpose and also call on the government to scrap 100% electricity bills for every Ghanaian because if not for his negligence, we would have been well off. What he has given is a chicken feed and even Togo government has done better by scrapping all electricity bills.
Happy good Friday and STAY AT HOME Because we only look up to God for survival, let with this government alone which incompetent is too romantic to describe, we would all die.