COVID 19: Precipitating Presidential Decrees

With the confirmation of COVID 19 in Ghana, citizens are urging the President to close all borders. Closing the borders is necessary yet not the most fundamental step, especially, when safe handwashing in public places is not practised assiduously, movements within the country has not been restricted, large public meetings are still occurring, and handshaking is still a common practice. A cross-section of employees are wearing white gloves for some protection. However, it is crucial to distance oneself from the infected, seek medical advice immediately one observes the symptoms in one. One must cough or sneeze into one’s shoulder or tissues. Most importantly and humanely, a person should self-isolate immediately s/he experiences the symptoms.

In February 2020, WHO warned governments: “Be prepared; Corona Virus is coming”. Epidemiologists have furthered that COVID 19 is going to get worse before it can be contained. Therefore, to fight the virus with vigour, all recommended safe practices must be observed simultaneously. Logically, Heads of state must make tough decisions that might affect their territorial sovereignties and beyond.

The President has outlined resources for tackling the infection; however, Central Government provisions should be complemented at regional, municipal and district, institutional and domestic levels. Therefore, I implore the President to order all agencies to establish safe handwashing facilities. Sydney has inscribed in its skies: “Wash HANDS”. Some African countries have placed standing washing basins in public places such as markets, lorry stations. I am also suggesting to President Akufo-Addo to order all metropolitan, municipal and district authorities, administrative machineries to establish handwashing facilities across their jurisdictions. In the absence of ceramic wash basins, Jemima handwashing containers, regularly filled will soapy water, will suffice.

And the President must not accept the salutary no funds stoppage from any of the stakeholders. Each and every metropolis, municipality, district is home to markets and lorry stations. Occupants of stalls are obliged to honour the assembly’s daily ticket system. Commercial drivers also pay daily tolls. The President must decree that GPRTU/PROTOA and each Assembly should use its ticket funds for the next one week, solely, to purchase handwashing facilities i.e. water, containers, soap. Each container should be fitted with a tube that would ensure that dirty water goes to a drain, not muddy occupying areas.

The size of a market or station will determine the quantity of facilities. Once established, it would be a matter of replenishing supplies and replacing worn-out containers. The Assemblies/GPRTU/PROTOA do not have to collect the money for the procurement of the facilities. Each should just announce to stall occupants and union members that within the next seven days, ticket money should be collected by the occupants/members and be used to purchase the necessary quantity of Jemima containers, soap and water for each block of 5-10 stalls or per a station. It would be demotivating if people should walk too far to wash their hands. Purchases must be backed by proper receipts. For sustainability of the provision, ticket funds for one day should be reserved, henceforth, for replenishment and maintenance. Thus, the people will own the facility, benefit directly from their tax and undoubtedly appreciate the transparency.

Within that same week, the Deputy Minister in charge of Tertiary education should receive a report from each university, college and any other post-secondary institution, detailing handwashing facilities spread conveniently across campuses. The Director-General of the Ghana Education Service will facilitate those provisions at the basic and secondary levels – private and public. School fees has a sanitation component, which should be utilized for handwashing facilities. Ministries, hospitals, patrons of all other public spaces should so oblige through their internal funds. Those who default should be prosecuted for endangering public health.

COVID 19 is a forceful reminder of how quickly things can get out of hand, that human progress notwithstanding, nature wields absolute control over humanity, and not the other way round. Even so, WHO has advised that “all countries can change the course of this pandemic." Washing hands with soap, covering one’s mouth when coughing or sneezing are very important acts now. Each and every one has that responsibility

Evacuating Stranded Ghanaians in China

Yesterday in the news, the opposition gave the government a three-day ultimatum to bring home Ghanaians stranded in China due to the Corona virus. Apparently, students have run out of food supplies, but they cannot go out, which means they are probably starving. Of course, if they are not infected, they probably will be better off leaving China, especially, with the information that Wuhan authorities concealed vital information from the public. The opposition is suggesting that the affected be quarantined in Ghana. Countries are evacuating their residents in China, so if Ghana followed suit, it would be in order. The major concern would be the usual Ghanaian attitude.

Countries such as Australia can mark out a location as a quarantine area, and affected Australians would comply, out of duty and conscientiousness. That cannot be guaranteed in Ghana, where people usually disrespect rules and regulations and sacrifice pragmatism for religious gullibility. Whichever location would be designated may not be beyond the reach of sensational and dubious people of God. Such might attribute infection, should there be any, to the witches and offer to pray for the infected to be released from the powers of witchcraft.

There is also the danger from people of influence such as politicians, rulers, business people, executives and other personalities in high places. Such might use their connections to get release papers from the high powers that be, so that their quarantined relatives and acquaintances might be granted permission to leave the limited space in order to rejoin the larger community. Of course, such ones might provide the nauseous excuse: Nyame nti, biribiara nsi", which literally translates, due to protection from God, nothing will happen, never mind that amidst this chorus, millions die every year when they could have lived. But we are averse to pragmatism.

The most probable explanation for not having worked ourselves to extinction due to our acts of omission is that “Africans gems are not harmful”, as we say in Ghana. However, we are in unknown waters here. The Corona virus is definitely not African and definitely, definitely harmful, worse, fatal. Therefore, should our people be brought home for quarantine, and should the people resort to the usual Ghanaian nefarious ways, we can be sure that the Corona Virus, should any have happened to have brought some home, would attack and kill swiftly and mercilessly. Not even Ebola could be relied upon to fight the Corona – virus to virus, savagery versus savagery! I just wish that the opposition had added suggestions about safe quarantining measures. Whether we are here at home, or they are in China and must be rescued, Ghanaians are Ghanaians and must be equally respected and protected.

Therefore, since the ultimatum ends tomorrow, Friday February 13, 2020, I am also giving the opposition 24-hours to produce pragmatic measures regarding security that would ensure that the evacuees would not put the lives of residents at home in jeopardy. Plans to evacuate must be matched by security measures for ensuring that evacuees remain quarantined until such time that it would be absolutely clear that they cannot infect anyone before they would be allowed to reintegrate.