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Don’t politicise COVID-19 combat—MP
The Member of Parliament (MP) for the Ayawaso Central Constituency in the Greater Accra Region, Henry Quartey, has cautioned against politicisation of governments effort in addressing threats posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to him, the disease was no respecter of persons and does not discriminate between the rich and the poor or party colours, and it behove on the citizenry to rally behind the government to win the war against the virus.
Mr Quartey cautioned yesterday when in collaboration with the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly distributed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to traders at the Mallam Atta Market in the constituency.
The items which include hand gloves, nose masks, hand washing soaps and hand sanitisers were to replenish the stock already supplied by the assembly a fortnight ago.
Mr Quartey, who is also the Deputy Minister for the Interior, indicated that “the constituency and the whole country will be the end losers if collective efforts are not made as a people with a common destiny to wage a united front and relentless war against the common enemy which is the virus”.
The devastating nature of the disease, the minister stated must not be taken for granted, and charged the residents especially the traders to strictly adhere to all existing precautionary measures and hygienic protocols to avoid contracting the virus.
“The devastating nature of the pandemic must not be taken for granted and I urge the constituents to complement governments effort by strictly adhering to all existing precautionary measures and hygienic protocols and also ensure that you stay at home when you do not have anything doing outside the comfort of your homes, we must tackle the pandemic head-on and defeat it once and for all.”
Mr Quartey admonished parents against allowing their children to loiter as they could easily contract the disease, and hinted of provision of more PPE supplies, and stated that the planned demolition of part of the market had been shelved.
The Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji Mohammed Quaye, urged the traders to ensure that the PPE are always used in their daily activities and also insisted that their patrons wash their hands before entering the market or buying anything from them.
By Lawrence Vomafa-Akpalu
Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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Traders have returned to the streets of Accra, occupying pavements and stretches of some roads after the last major decongestion exercise.
The exercise, which was aimed at restoring order in areas like Kingsway, CMB, Rawlings Park, Tudu etc, have now been defeated.
From Kingsway to Rawlings Park, traders display several wares including, footwear, herbal medicines, plastic products, fresh fish, second-hand clothing, and vegetables, among others.
Local Evangelists are also not left out as they scramble for spaces on the streets.
Pedestrians, therefore, find it difficult to move around when shopping, due to the human and vehicular congestion created by the traders.
In an interview with The Spectator, Auntie Abigail, a trader, said her return to the streets was to sell more, and she saw nothing wrong with it.
Hajia, who deals in wholesale items, indicated that they were unable to make sales as their colleagues move to the pavement and since customers don’t want to come inside, they prefer to buy from them.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has given traders a grace period to go back to their shops.
By Linda Abrefi Wadie
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