Close all schools to stop spread of coronavirus – Minority to Akufo-Addo

The Minority in Parliament is demanding the closure of all schools in Ghana in order to save lives of “innocent” students.

Addressing journalists in Accra on Thursday, the Ranking Member of the Select Committee on Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, says the rise in cases, particularly in schools, is a clear indication that government has lost the fight against the viral disease.

He observed how adamant government was to suggestions not the reopen schools as a result of the danger the virus posed.

“It is amazing how suddenly, the government adores BECE and WASSCE at the expense of human lives,” the Sefwi Juaboso Member of Parliament said.

For him, “if there are no healthy living beings, there will definitely be no exams or certificates”.

He suggested that government should rather follow the examples of Kenya and Nigeria who have suspended school activities until 2021.

“We want to know if government is by this means insinuating that, some lives/Ghanaians are more valuable than others by choosing to shut down institutions like Ministry of Finance, COCOBOD, BOST, and the Supreme Court. Why are the students still in school and on campuses?”

He noted how the suggestion by the Minority members on the Committee to mass-test students were rejected by government.

“We have been vindicated by the fact that some students in Accra Girls Senior High School (AGISS), Ghana Law School, Bekyem SHS and many more tested positive to COVID-19, though not a good news.

“Surprisingly, government after exposing many innocent students to the infection is now taking a U-turn to consider mass testing in this school.”

He said “if government had listened to our position of mass testing of students upon resuming,” the situation would have been avoided.

The Minority is, therefore, demanding a closure of the schools to get the students home to safety.

So far, Ghana’s cumulative cases have reached 23,463.