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Wa observes ban on gatherings

The Waala Traditional Council in the Upper West Region has suspended observation of funerals with large gatherings in line with the President’s directive on large gatherings for the next four weeks.

In a statement jointly signed by the Overlord of the Traditional Area, Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo, the Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Osman Mumuni and the Yari Naa, Alhaji Saliu Moomin Sungumo, residents have been asked to suspend all funeral related activities, including family greetings and traditional mourning.

“One-day, three-days, one-week, 40-days observation and funerals in the Waala Traditional Area must be on hold indefinitely. Burial may be performed, but with not more than 25 people in attendance,” the statement noted.

The statement also placed suspension on all religious and social activities such as the jointly held daily prayers in mosques and the Friday Jummah prayers by Muslims, weddings as well as other celebrations that warranted social gathering.

It further directed sub chiefs within the traditional council to limit their movements in and out of the region, adding that engagement of chiefs by residents should be suspended and limited to very necessary situations.

The traditional council used the opportunity to urged media practitioners in the region to be circumspect in their reportage to avoid causing fear and panic in people with unwholesome stories about the situation at hand.

In a related development, the Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has suspended lectures in line with a directive from its central administration. Students have since vacated the campus and halls of residence for their respective homes until further notice.

The directive added that all conferences, workshops and other extra-curricular activities by the university have been suspended for the next four weeks and asked staff to ensure that all lecture halls as well as other facilities were closed to avoid entry.

Meanwhile, the Upper West Regional library has stopped admitting clients to its premises. The library received lots of pupils and students on Tuesdays after the schools closed down, but the students were turned back home.

According to a staff at the library, Mr Frederick Adofo, the closure was in compliance with a directive from the National Library Board and was a way of limiting body contact in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis in the country.

He indicated that since the library was mostly crowded during vacations, it was necessary to take that measure following the closure of schools to prevent overcrowding.

A check by the Ghanaian Times at some banks in Wa revealed that some had observed the one metre spacing directive by health personnel and had arranged their seats in that order. However, others still maintained the old arrangement whereas most of the tellers wore hand gloves to protect themselves.

As at the time of visit to the banks on Tuesday, there was no hand washing facilities at the entrance for customers to wash their hands after accessing their services.

FROM LYDIA DARLINGTON FORDJOUR, WA

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