Mosquitoes invade Trade Fair

Accra, March 3, GNA - Throwing of hands, shaking of legs and battering of oneself with papers and rags appeared to be the most efficient means to combat the "strange" invasion of mosquitoes at the on-going Ghana International Trade Fair Exhibitors' consistent reliance on the use of mosquito coils, repellents and the burning of "weeds" to either kill or smoke out mosquitoes was insufficient to drive the mosquitoes away at night, especially at the ECOWAS, and Round Pavilions.

This problem coupled with the low sales being recorded by exhibitors at the pavilions, which housed sister countries from the sub-region could be well understood when one listens to the grumbling of the people during the evenings at the fair.

The Ghana Trade Company Limited, the organisers of the Fair, aware of the problem has been fumigating the entire fair ground to drive away the mosquitoes to allow traders and exhibitors to go about their businesses freely and happily.

The fumigation, according to a number of exhibitors the Ghana News Agency spoke to said takes place every night but the mosquitoes appeared to be resistant to its potency, hence some still stayed around after it has been done.

"The mosquitoes are wild, they are black and very huge and usually come in large numbers in the evenings. If you are a lady and not wearing a long sleeve and a trousers then you need to be pitied because you will suffer," Miss Lydia Mensah, a Sales Assistant said. She said, usually the visitors shied away from the ECOWAS and Round pavilions in the evenings because they could not stand the mosquitoes.

Mrs Mme Hounnou Bernadette from Benin said "The mosquitoes are too many, in fact we are suffering, those of us at the ECOWAS pavilion. Next time we should also be placed at pavilion 'A' and 'B'.

"The fair organisers come to spray but still the mosquitoes do not go away so we are not free," she said.

John Akapko from Burkina Faso said, "It's too bad and disgusting, you will feel uncomfortable all over your body. "If this is how they come here during fairs then something should be done about it," he said.