Features
Take politics out of the land border closures
The devastation and misery being caused to nations across the world by the deadly Corona Virus Disease (COVID) continue unabated in their worse forms. Available statistics by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that globally, the infection rate of the disease and the death toll in recent times have gone up astronomically.
More than 220 million confirmed cases with 4.5 million deaths have been recorded almost in 200 countries around the world and these figures keep rising daily. The United States of America (USA), India and Brazil, have seen the highest number of confirmed cases, followed by the United Kingdom (UK), Russia and France in that order.
GLOBAL STATISTICS OF COVID-19 SPREAD
Currently, the US has recorded 39,753,397 cases with 645,338 deaths, Brazil 20,890,779 with 583,628 deaths, India 33,027,621 with 440,752 deaths, Mexico 3,428,384 with 63,140 deaths and so on. The confirmed cases in Africa amounted to 7,075,119 which represent around 3.48 per cent of infections around the world.
As of August 8, 2021, South Africa was leading the chart with 2,533,466, Morocco 696,282, Tunisia 610,660, Egypt 284,706, Ethiopia 284,091, Libya 267,846, Kenya 211,828, Zambia 2000,049, Algeria 181,376, Nigeria 178,086. Latest figures indicate that Ghana has recorded 120,452 cases with 1,052 deaths so far.
With these global statistics staring us in the face,it means countries across the world are leaving no stone unturned to battle it out with the disease which is having a significant toll on their economies and affecting their gains made so far. Our country, Ghana, has got its share of the devastating effect of the disease on the economy making life unbearable for the majority of the people.
CLOSURE OF BORDERS TO MINIMISE SPREAD
When the disease first broke out in the country, the government had no option but to take far-reaching measures to minimise its introduction from other neighbouring countries into Ghana. As a step towards that direction, the country’s borders, land, air and sea, were closed to human traffic on March 22, 2020, to curb the spread of the disease. These closures did not apply to goods, supplies and cargo.
The aim of the closure, according to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was aimed at stopping the importation of the virus, contain its spread, provide adequate care for the sick, limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life and to inspire the expansion of the country’s domestic capability as well as deepening self-reliance.
After observing the situation on the ground, the President had to review the closure by re-opening the country’s air borders while that of the land and sea remained closed until further notice. The continued closure of the land borders has generated a lot of anxiety and controversy among people in the catchment areas. The citizens, mostly traders who live around the borders and ply their trade in and outside the borders complained that they had been denied their livelihood as a result of the border closures.
TRADERS AGITATIONS FOR RE-OPENING OF BORDERS
Recently, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro in the Western Region, Madam Dorcas Afo-Toffey, appealed to the President to consider the re-opening of the Elubo border, which serves as a gateway to Cote d’Ivoire to alleviate the hardships on the people living in nearby communities. The MP who joined the youth of Elubo to demonstrate against the continued closure of the border, said people had died and many more would die if nothing was done. “More people have died in the area due to hardships as a result of the border closure than COVID-19 pandemic. We are pleading with the government, President Akufo-Addo to intervene,” she said.
According to the MP, the motive behind the land border closure was to prevent the spread of the virus from other countries, but the deaths from hardships exceeded what COVID-19 would have caused. The people argue that trading across the border is their only source of livelihood, hence the continued closure of the border for more than a year now, was making life hard for them and their families and dependants.
Similar pressures have also been mounted on the government by traders at Aflao in the Ketu District of the Volta Region to open the border to Togo to allow them to carry out their daily business along the border. They complained that the border closure had seriously impacted negatively on their livelihood since they could not find any means to make ends meet apart from their trading within the catchment area. It is refreshing that in all these demonstrations lives were not lost as they went on peacefully and we commend the people for their maturity.
It is worthy of note that in both instances, the government has assured the traders that their petitions are receiving urgent attention and that the situations on the ground in both cases are being monitored for further action to be taken.
EFFECT OF THE DISEASE ON GHANAIANS
Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the livelihood of many Ghanaians including those living along the border towns to our neighbouring countries. The severity of the poor living conditions of the people is nothing good to write about ever since the disease started in the latter part of 2019. Apart from the negative impact on the economy, the disease had claimed a number of innocent lives some of whom were bread winners of their families. People have lost their jobs as a result of this deadly disease. It has resulted in an increase in the crime wave in this country as people are bent on doing anything possible to make a living.
However, the closure of the country’s borders to our neighbouring countries, has to a very large extent yielded a positive result as it has helped to minimise the spread of this deadly disease in our dear nation. The truth is that, if we had not taken that positive step to close our borders especially the land borders, the country would have been in a total mess by now; a lot of people would have lost their lives as a result of this deadly disease.
It is a fact that the people along the border towns are suffering as a result of the continued closure of our borders, but strictly speaking, it was a wise decision to be taken by the government to safeguard the lives of the majority of Ghanaians. What is now left, is for the government to find ways of helping the traders out of their predicament so that they can cater for their families and dependants and also alleviate their sufferings.
TAKING POLITICS OUT OF BORDER CLOSURES
For goodness sake, our politicians must refrain from capitalising on the situation to do cheap political propaganda by using the people to attack government because it has no merit whatsoever. Instead, they must assist and support the government with tangible suggestions and ideas that will go a long way to cushion the people from their difficulties and hardships they are currently facing. We need a constructive politics not a destructive and vile propaganda that will not help the course of development. It is quite unfortunate that the land borders still remain closed after more than a year.
ADHERING STRICTLY TO WHO SAFETY PROTOCOLS ON COVID-19
While we think about possible ways and solutions to ameliorate the plight of our traders in the border towns and villages, it is equally important for us to intensify the vaccination in the country particularly in these border areas as a major step towards minimising the spread of the disease. It is equally important for us as Ghanaians, to adhere strictly to the WHO safety protocols of regular handwashing and sanitising, wearing of face masks, observing our distance at designated places, such as churches, funeral grounds and social gatherings. Equally, people at the helm of affairs in this country must try to lead by example by abiding by the laid down restrictions regarding the disease. This country is not out of the woods yet when it comes to the eradication of the deadly COVID-19. The struggle still continues unabated!
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BY CHARLES NEEQUAYE
Walk into any supermarket in Accra, Kumasi, or Tamale today, and you will see the modern Ghanaian diet packaged as ‘progress.’ You will see breakfast cereals with cartoon mascots, fruit drinks that are mostly sugar and colour, and snacks promising energy and happiness in bright fonts.
Even products loaded with salt and unhealthy fats often wear a health halo labeled as fortified or natural, while the real nutritional risk is hidden in tiny print on the back. This is not just a consumer inconvenience; it is a public health blind spot. Ghana is living through a silent surge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.
These conditions quietly drain household income and steal productive years. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, NCDs are now responsible for nearly 45 per cent of all deaths in Ghana.
We cannot build a healthy nation on a food environment designed to confuse people at the point of purchase. Ghana must mandate simple front-of-pack warning labels (FOPWL) on high-sugar, high-salt, and high-fat packaged foods because consumers deserve truth at a glance, and industry must be pushed to reformulate.
Why Back-of-Pack Labels Are Not Enough
In theory, consumers can read nutrition panels. In reality, most Ghanaians shop under pressure, limited time, rising prices, and children tugging at their sleeves. The back label is a relic that requires a high cognitive load to interpret—essentially, the seller knows what is inside, but the buyer cannot easily tell.
This ‘information asymmetry’ is not fair. It is not consumer choice when the information needed to choose well is deliberately difficult to find.
Simple warning labels like the black octagons used in the Chilean Model act as a ‘stop-and-think’ nudge. They do not ban products but they simply tell the truth so people can decide.
Reshaping Our Food Environment
A generation ago, Ghana’s meals were mostly home-prepared, like kenkey and banku with soups and stews. Today, ultra-processed foods have become the norm, especially in urban areas. Children are growing up with sugary drinks and salty snacks as everyday items, not occasional treats.
If Ghana is serious about prevention, we must act where decisions are made—thus, the shelf. Warning labels protect parents from sugar traps and pressure the market to improve. When warning labels are mandatory, manufacturers start to compete to make healthier recipes to avoid the stigma of the label.
Addressing the Pushback
Industry will argue that labels create fear or that education alone is enough. However, health education is slow; labels work immediately. While the informal street food sector is a challenge, regulating pre-packaged goods is the practical starting point because the supply chain is traceable. We cannot wait until the whole system is perfect; we must start where action is feasible.
A 2026 Implementation Roadmap for Ghana
To move from talk to action, Ghana needs this 5-step plan:
- Issue mandatory regulation: The Ministry of Health, Food and Drug Authority (FDA), and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) must define the label format and nutrient thresholds for all pre-packaged foods.
- Simple, bold symbols: Use plain language and clear symbols, such as “HIGH IN SUGAR,” designed for busy families, not experts.
- Transparent thresholds: Adopt technically defensible standards adapted to the Ghanaian diet.
- Transition and enforce: Provide a 12–18 month period for manufacturers to reformulate, followed by firm enforcement at ports and retail centers.
- National literacy campaign: The Ghana Health Service must pair labels with public messages explaining why high salt or sugar increases disease risk.
Conclusion: Truth Is Not a Luxury
Prevention is cheaper than treatment. A warning label costs little compared to the price of dialysis, stroke rehabilitation, or lifelong diabetes complications. A black octagon on a box of biscuits is more than a label; it is a shield for the health of all Ghanaians. It is time to put the truth where we can see it, right on the front.
By Abigail Amoah Sarfo
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Natives of the Kenkey Kingdom were mad with joy. They were still recovering from the hangover of the kingdom’s loss of the African Cup when their spirits were rekindled. Their great warrior, Zoom Zoom, stormed Melbourne and made sure that every Australian refused food. And that was after he had drawn contour lines on the face of their idol, Jeff Fenech.
Not only did the terrible warrior transform Old Boy Jeff’s face into a contour map useful for geography lessons, but he also accomplished the feat of retaining the much-envied super-kenkeyweight title against all odds. The warrior had not been eating hot kenkey for nothing.
The Fight Against Fenech
When Jeff Fenech bit the dust in the eighth round, I was tempted to consider if Adanko Deka could not have faced him in any twelve-rounder, title or non-title bout. Adanko has improved tremendously, and soon he would be facing Pernell Whitaker.
Sincerely, I was pessimistic about Azumah’s man, who the last time took him through twelve grueling rounds of rough boxing. I expressed my fears to my colleague Christian Abbew, alias Gbonyo, who surprisingly had total confidence that the Australian brawler would fall, predictably in Round Five.
Gbonyo gave reasons for his contention, all of which I counteracted using the age factor. Fact is, I didn’t know that contrary to the laws of nature, Azumah was all the time growing younger.
When Fenech fell briefly in round one, I asked my brother whether it was the same Fenech that fought Azumah in Las Vegas. Sure, it was the same Fenech, all out to beat Azumah before his countrymen.
But the African Professor had no intention of making the Australian a hero. As he spun round the desperate Aussie, dancing and stinging out his jabs, it was not too long before I realized that the end was near.
The Eighth Round Showdown
Two minutes into the eighth round, the African ring-master proved to the whole world that he was a true son of Bukom. He himself was cornered, but like the tough nut he is, he managed to break free before overwhelming the panting Australian with several blows that made him crash headlong.
Moments after, the referee, expressing fatherly sympathy, stopped the fight to prevent an obituary. After the ordeal, Fenech’s fairly handsome face was full of newly constructed hills, valleys, ox-bow lakes—whatever. I noticed that his nose was very tired and had a miniature volcano sitting restlessly on it. Obviously, Jeff’s wife will have to nurse that nose back to its normal shape—but I’d advise her not to use iodine, otherwise her dear husband will wail like a banshee.
Reflections on Boxing
Because Mohammed Ali was the kind of boxer kids liked, many school-going kids often entertained the wish of becoming like him. I remember one day when I told my father I wanted to become a boxer, and he advised me to first complete my education to the highest level. Then, if I decided to become a boxer and was knocked out a couple of times, I’d fall back on my degrees and make a living.
Boxing used to be interesting when bouts were fought more with the mouth and tongue than with gloves. You had to brag well, psychologically belittling your opponent before beating him up physically. Mohammed Ali became a very successful pugilist because he also managed to become a poet. He often blew his horn across America, calling himself the “pretty boxer” and opponents like Joe Frazier “the gorilla.”
Ali made a living fighting hard fists like Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jerry Quarry, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, and Trevor Berbick. Twice he came back from retirement to fight just for money. It was Larry Holmes who finally pensioned him, and since then the great Ali has never been himself.
The Path Ahead for Azumah
When Azumah nailed Jeff Fenech on the cross and barked almost immediately that he was after the head of Pernell Whitaker, I was happy but concerned. I would have been happier if he had announced his resignation there and then—he would have been more of a hero. Beating Fenech in Australia is more newsworthy than facing Whitaker in the States.
With Whitaker, it might be a little difficult. The “Sweet Pea” is agile, has a crooked body like a snake with diarrhea, and stands awkwardly as a southpaw. He is known for having the fastest pair of fists and the rare ability to dodge punches no matter how close they may be.
Much as I do not doubt that Azumah can take his title, I also don’t want him to retire beaten. I want him to retire as a hero and live a fuller, healthy life.
As Azumah himself said after dishing Fenech, he is now a professor and has something to show for it. Like a true professor, I think it is time he resigned and took up training young talents who could draw inspiration from him and become like him in the future.
Closing Thoughts
I must say that although ageing boxers like Larry Holmes and George Foreman are making a name for themselves, boxing is not like the Civil Service, where you can even change your age and retire at 74. Zoom Zoom has delighted the hearts of the natives, and Sikaman will forever hold him in high esteem—but only when he retires as a hero.
This article was first published on Saturday, March 7, 1992.
