The Member of Parliament for Ketu South (MP), Dzifa Abla Gomashie, has said urgent attention must be given to re-opening land borders in the country.
She contends that the continuous closure of the Aflao border, in particular, has taken a negative toll on residents in the area.
The Ketu South lawmaker’s call follows a demonstration by some residents in Ketu South demanding the opening of the Aflao border on Friday, August 27, 2021.
They argued that air borders, which were closed together with land borders due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been reopened, but there are no attempts to replicate same for land borders.
They thus called on government to open the land borders since they play important roles in their economic activities.
Madam Gomashie in an interview on Eyewitness News justified the demands made by the protestors.
She said the current situation has worsened the economic hardship on many who ply their trade across borders.
She also called on the government to put in place measures to cushion the affected people.
“All the borders were closed but two have been reopened, but the land borders remain closed and nobody has come forward within the period to say anything to the people.”
“My expectation is that either the state comes to tell the people that the border will be closed for a period of time and in that time, these are the steps that we have put in place for the people who are affected by it as it has been done for some people.”
Meanwhile, the Municipal Chief Executive for Ketu South, Elliot Agbenowu, has insisted that the discussion on the re-opening of land borders should be scaled-up to the sub-regional level.
“The issue is now bigger than the President or even the country because it takes two countries to open a border. Because if Ghana opens its border and Togo doesn’t open, then we haven’t done anything. So it is a bigger decision that will be taken at the subregional level”, he said on Eyewitness News on Friday, August 27, 2021.
