The National House of Chiefs (NHC) has called on Nananom to establish traditional task forces to enforce the protocols and measures announced by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to control the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.
According to the House “the situation we are faced with is akin to war and it is our obligation to lead the fight. Let us not disappoint our people.”
The House, therefore, called on all traditional leaders in the country to rise up to the occasion to support the government’s efforts to fight the disease, stressing “we cannot stand aloof and leave the burden of the fight against the pandemic to central government alone.”
This was contained in a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the NHC, Stephen Owusu, for the president, Togbe Afede XVI.
The statement said “we are closer to the people and our voice is familiar with the people,” the statement called for the suspension of all traditional festivities with immediate effect, but “rites that are associated with traditional festivals and religious days should be restricted to indoors with fewer members”.
The statement called on Nananom to lead a special traditional prayers and rites to purify their communities and seek the face of God, and also undertake frequent communal labour in their communities to rid them of filth to avoid possible spread of the virus “and this must be done taking into consideration of the protocols on social distancing.”
It said the House was alarmed about the rate at which the COVID-19 was spreading in the country and urged members to stand in solidarity with the protocols and measures taken by the government to contain the spread.
As at the time of filing this report, the country had recorded 132 cases of the disease, with three deaths as confirmed by the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
The NHC encouraged every Ghanaian to follow the measures announced by the government to protect themselves and stop the spread, saying that the measures were in line with guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO), and many other countries which had instituted similar measures which were working to stem the spread of the COVID-19.
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI
