The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Morrison has debunked rumours that the government promised to give head porters (Kayayei) money during this partial lockdown period in Accra.
She insisted that the government is providing food, water and shelter for them, and not money, as claimed by some people.
Outlining steps being taken to house the head porters and other homeless people in Accra, she said, “On Sunday, we started talking to the kayayei on the street that we’re getting a place for them to stay. Because we don’t want them to be on the streets for them to go out hawking, we got a place for them at Madina. A private person gave it to us. In the evening, five military buses took them to the shelter. They were 381. It’s a 500 seater so we knew we could accommodate them and bring more. Yesterday evening, they moved out, saying they were not going to stay there because they thought we were going to give them money. That is why they sat in the bus and came there.”
“We are not giving anybody money. We cannot share money. We can only share food. We are helping vulnerable people and not only the kayayei. And so no one is going to give them money. I want that to be clear. Because the media is saying the government promised them money. When I did my first briefing, I said we were considering certain things. I didn’t mention of any amount of money,” she clarified.
She also announced that government has paid local food vendors to provide free meals to vulnerable members of the society.
Speaking on measures put in place to ensure Ghanaians adhere to the lockdown directive by the President, the sector Minister said the exercise will also be supported by caterers who will cook and share food to vulnerable people across cities affected by the lockdown.
“What we are going to do is that the kenkey seller at Chorkor or Bukom will be asked to cook 500 balls of kenkey in her area. We will give her 500 tins of mackerel or sardine so that she feeds those in the area because she knows them best. NADMO will monitor and make sure that 500 is shared and that nobody comes for double. We want to do it such that everybody will have something to eat. This morning I had a call that the government is doing nothing and that the churches are sending food. It is the government that has given the churches food to send round,” she insisted.
Government to feed, house kayayei, others
Following widespread concern over the treatment of some stranded head porters, the government has committed to feeding and housing the needy kayayei in Kumasi and the Greater Accra Region during the partial lockdown.
The plight of the kayayei and other extremely vulnerable groups was brought to the fore after over 70 of the kayayei trying to sneak home to Walewale in North East Region were stopped at Ejisu and returned to Accra.
At a press conference last Wednesday, the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Morrison, revealed that the government had already scouted possible locations for housing the kayayei and other homeless people.
Free food hotlines
The Gender Ministry has also announced free food hotlines for vulnerable groups in locked-down areas in the country.
The hotlines are 0800800800 and 0800900900.
These numbers will guide the Ministry in ensuring equitable distribution of food to vulnerable groups within locked-down areas namely: Accra, Kumasi, Tema and Kasoa.
This is to help the vulnerable in secluded places to get in touch with the Ministry.
The Minister also disclosed collaborations with faith-based organizations to help in the distribution of food to some 400,000 Ghanaians.