On the 27th of March 2020, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo declared a lockdown on the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and Greater Kumasi. The lockdown is due to begin from 1 am on Monday 30th March due to the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus.
“Effective 1 am on Monday 30th March 2020 exactly some 48 hours from now, I have imposed pursuant to the powers granted the president of the republic under the imposition of the Restrictions Act,2020 (Act 1012) restrictions of movements persons in the Greater Accra Metropolitan (GAMA) Area which includes Awutu Senya East and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area and contiguous districts for a period of two (2) weeks, subject to review.
The president in his speech also mentioned that “Anyone who is found flouting them will be dealt with fully in accordance with the law, The security service has been clothed with the necessary “Powers” to enforce those measures”.
The latter indirectly seems to have been misconstrued by some of our men in uniform who have since the address, resorted to warming up for an encounter with some few recalcitrants.
Anticipating a number of occurrences from stubborn “spectators” flouting orders is inevitable, but it’s opponent thesis created and adopted by some men in uniform which includes transmogrifying into scaremongers overnight, sharing and posting videos designed to send a strong signal to our already vulnerable citizens that indeed “we are ready for you”, such ideas should be discouraged.
The only battle we know is a battle against the virus.
Although it might seem almost impossible to resist the temptation of wanting to give some few miscreants a few taps on the cheeks, we need to remember that being out there means we have a duty to protect the citizenry by preventing the spread and we can only effective administer that in these few hours to the lockdown by making sure people understand that choosing to stay at home is paramount in our personal responsibility of ensuring an end to this Pandemic as soon as possible and we have no intention doing so by exhibiting even the slightest forms of “barbarism”.
Just as the chants for an end to this crisis is being quavered “Spread Calm not fear”, we need to spread messages of hope and encouragement especially in the times that we are in, we need to inform the people that restricting their movements means they respect and value the lives of all first responders who are also on the front lines of this emergency.
The president in his speech assured the Ghanaian People of our Professionalism of which I strongly affirm and believe will be delivered excellently.
The only enemy we know is the virus, and social distance can never be achieved with a slap.
To the lovely people of Ghana, I ask for your unflinching support by assisting our gallant men and women in Uniform, and that could only be achieved by observing all the protocols designed to enable us to halt the spread of the virus and scale-up effectively, contact tracing of persons who have come into contact with infected persons as stated by H.E the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
God bless our HomeLand GHANA and make our nation Great and Corona-Free!
#SpreadCalmNotFear #WeShallOvercome
–