Residents of Sekondi-Takoradi and its environs in the Western Region have expressed mixed feelings about President Akufo-Addo’s update number 23 on measures taken against the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
While others were expecting a lockdown, some were against the restrictions on private businesses while others blamed the resurgence to the activities of politicians especially, during the 2020 electioneering campaign.
According to them, private men should not be shut down because they feed the government and that one fundamental source of sustainable jobs stems from the private enterprises resulting in increased sustainability.
They argued that jobs created by the private enterprises have multiple effects across the economic spectrum including easing the public wage bill, increasing taxes for the state and increasing productivity to spur rapid economic growth.
Sharing their concerns with Spice News in separate interviews, Mr Justin Fianu argued that the President must lock the churches and Mosques by bringging the numbers to 20 and social functions since there are too much recalcitrance whilst people are dying.
He said, “instead of preaching to their followers who forms the masses to adhere to safety protocols, especially wear masks, etc., they rather disturb my quiet dawn moments with mega phone preaching and muslim dawn cries. The nuisance must cease.”
He suggested that the itinerant preachers who disturb at dawn with apocalyptic gospels and the noisy Muslim dawn cries should focus on the need to ensure that their followers adhere to safety protocols.
Mr Mawuli Avonyo was of the view that though the Churches could be breeding grounds to contract the virus, taken care and following the safety protocols were the surest ways to stay out of the virus and not closing down the Churches and Mosques.
He lamented that the Government never lifted the law that compelled citizens to the compulsory wearing of masks in public places while the COVID-19 restrictive laws never ended, people blatantly flouted the laws and went unpunished.
However, he said it was just appalling how the country’s administrative machinery was not working since the leaders partly contributed to the recent spike in Ghana’s COVID-19 cases and for that matter shutting the private men was just like depriving them the oxygen they need to exist and function.
According to him, during the campaign season no one was restricted but after elections private men are being restricted.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
