The Upper East Regional Minister, Ms Paulina Tangoba Abayage, has tasked all the 15 Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) in the region to hold emergency meetings with traditional and religious leaders to help fight coronavirus.
The Regional Minister who is the head of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC) issued the directive at a press conference on Monday after holding a crunch meeting with members of the REGSEC to champion the way forward towards fighting the menace.
Ms Abayage stated that it was very important for the MDCEs to collaborate with the traditional and religious leaders in their respective jurisdictions to ensure that the public adheres to the President’s directives of banning funerals and other social gatherings.
“You as the political heads of the districts must ensure that you hold emergency municipal and district security meetings with the traditional authorities to deal with this important issue to ensure the enforcement of the President’s directive of adhering to the 25 maximum number of people at funerals,” the Regional Minister stressed.
Whilst calling on the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to liase with the security agencies working along the borders to ensure proper screening of strangers entering the country, the Regional Minister appealed to radio stations in the region to offer bonus airtime to the staff of the GHS to educate the public about the pandemic.
Ms Abayage further tasked the MDCEs to support the Information Service Departments in their respective areas to embark upon intensive education about personal hygiene.
The Regional Minister who noted that all the detected cases of the pandemic were imported ones, entreated people in the region not to panic, but to ensure that they adhere to the President’s directives and follow the instructions of hand washing with soap under running water seriously.
The Regional Director of GHS, Dr Winfred Ofosu acknowledged that though the border towns in the region had many unapproved routes his outfit was working closely with the security agencies to tackle the issue.
He stated that the region would be receiving its portions of the protective clothing that have been distributed by the government to all the regions in the country to help contain the situation.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, BOLGATANGA
