The Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben South Isaac Appaw Gyasi and the New Juaben Traditional Council has expressed worry over the movement of people from Areas to be lockdown to Koforidua.
The Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua, begun to witness the arrival of many people fleeing from Accra and Kumasi shortly after President of Ghana announced two weeks lockdown of the National Capital and Greater Kumasi as effective midnight of Sunday, March 29,2020, as enhanced measure to contain the spread of Covid-19 disease.
Among the people fleeing to Koforidua are Students of Koforidua Technical University and All Nations University. Whilst others have reportedly returned to their private hostels, others are perching with their school mates who are residents.
This worrying phenomenon has compelled the New Juaben Traditional Council and the Municipal Assembly to hold a joint press conference on Saturday.
The Municipal Chief Executive for New Juaben South, Isaac Appaw Gyasi explained that “I’ve received a lot of calls prompting me about an influx of travelers from Kumasi, Accra, Kasoa and other cities to Koforidua. As the Municipal Chief Executive, I was alarmed by this strange panic movement”.
He added “I’m pleading with people from the affected cities not to panic and move around as counseled by His Excellency the President. Let’s support the extraordinary leadership qualities exhibited by the President and abide by all the protocols he has put in place. Ghana, under the able leadership of our President, shall pull through this pandemic, COVID-19 successfully”.
Meanwhile, the MCE has hinted plans to meet various transport Unions, Security agencies and all other major stakeholders to help address this worrying phenomenon to help avert the spread of coronavirus to the Regional Capital.
The Gyasehene of New Juaben Traditional Area Nana Twumasi Dakwah, on his part, admonished all those fleeing to New Juaben to return to their places of abode.
He said, their action to seek refuge in Koforidua will endanger the health of residents in the municipality. He cited that similar panic movements happened in Italy which caused the spread of the disease at an alarming rate which has become a crisis with thousands of people dying.
Ghana has recorded 141 confirmed cases of coronavirus with five (5) fatalities as of March 28, 2020.
President of Ghana Akufo-Addo on Friday night of March 27, 2020, announced partial lockdown of the Nation’s Capital-Accra and Parts of Ashanti Region as an enhanced measure to prevent increasing community spread having closed down all Borders -Land, sea and Air space.
The lockdown takes effect Monday dawn with essential workers exempted from the two weeks lockdown.
Source: Mybrytfmonline/Obed Ansah
