The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has chided President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for suspending the ban on partial lockdown in Greater Accra and Kumasi, describing it as “totally premature and lacks scientific basis”.
A statement signed and issued by Sammy Gyamfi, National Communications Officer, NDC, said the decision was politically motivated and aimed at making space for the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voter’s register for this year’s general elections.
The party further questioned why the President would impose a partial lockdown to halt the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country, at a time the country had only recorded 134 cases with five deaths, but lift the partial lockdown, at a time the positive case count was currently 1,042 with nine deaths.
“It is clearly a politically-motivated decision, calculated to allow the EC the space to undertake its entrenched and illogical determination to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 general election and nothing more,” the statement said.
It stated that countries with far lower cases have not lifted or relaxed their lockdown restrictions and insisted that “President Akufo-Addo’s decision to lift the lockdown at this crucial time is a reckless political gamble that portends great danger for this nation. The citizenry must never forgive him if this unimaginable decision exacerbates our COVID-19 situation.
“The blame for any fatality that is occasioned by this reckless decision must lie squarely with the President. What the President has essentially done, is to place political expediency ahead of public safety and what that shows, is human lives don’t matter to President Akufo-Addo,” the statement added.
The lifting of the partial lockdown by President Akufo-Addo, at a time the country was witnessing astronomical increases in positive COVID-19 cases, particularly horizontal infections, according to the NDC, was totally premature and lacked scientific basis.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Sunday announced his decision to suspend restrictions imposed on the movement of persons within some parts of Greater Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Greater Kumasi after a three weeks partial lockdown.
The decision to ease restrictions, according to the President, was due to the country’s ability to undertake aggressive contact tracing of infected persons, isolate and treat them.
All other that other restrictions including the ban on public gatherings, he said, were however still in force.
To curb the spread of the disease, he asked Ghanaians to wear face mask and strictly adhere to the various announced prevention protocols including hand washing and social distancing.
By Vivian Arthur
