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General News of Tuesday, 26 January 2021

Source: peacefmonline.com

Don't push Akufo-Addo to lockdown the country again - E/R Minister-designate warns Ghanaians

Eastern Regional Minister-designate, Seth Acheampong Eastern Regional Minister-designate, Seth Acheampong

Eastern Regional Minister-designate, Seth Acheampong has advised Ghanaians not to push President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to impose a lockdown in the country.

President Nana Akufo-Addo in his 22nd update on COVID-19 warned of a possible lockdown should the country's COVID-19 cases keep soaring.

The President bemoaned the recalcitrant behaviour of some Ghanaians regarding the COVID-19 safety protocols.

"In furtherance of this, I have instructed the Inspector General of Police to direct officers, men and women of the Police Service to ensure the rigorous enforcement of the law on mask-wearing at all public places and in public transport. They are also to ensure the closure of all night clubs, pubs, cinemas and beaches that may be operating in defiance of the law. They will be assisted by the other security agencies if need be.

" . . We do not want to go back to the days of partial lockdowns, which had a negative impact on our economy and on our way of life. But should that become necessary, i.e., should the number of active cases continue to increase at the current rate, I will have no option but to re-impose these restrictions because it is better to be safe than to be sorry. So, together, let us all ensure that we respect the protocols," he said.

Touching on the President's words, Hon. Seth Acheampong reminded Ghanaians of the hardships they faced and the burden that the government had to bear when some parts of the nation were under lockdown last year due to the pandemic.

"Should we be locked down again, it means we can't go to work. But you have to eat even if you don't go to work. Whose cost will it be if you don't go to work but will have to eat? It means the loan you have to take to support your business will have to be channel to feed yourself. It will affect the financial coffers of the nation massively," he cautioned on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo".

He called on every Ghanaian to protect themselves and other people by mandatorily wearing nose masks and practicing all the protocols stressing ''the disease is dangerous. The new variant is extremely dangerous and the rate at which it's claiming lives is like the strike of a lightning''.