It’s premature, politically motivated – Sammy Gyamfi takes on Akufo-Addo over lockdown suspension

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National Communications Officer of Ghana’s opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi has described as “premature” and “politically motivated”, a decision by President Akufo-Addo to suspend the restrictions on movement of persons as the country’s Covid-19 cases surge.

Mr Gyamfi argues in a statement released on Monday that the decision is “calculated to allow the EC the space to undertake its entrenched and illogical determination to compile a new voters’ register” ahead of the 2020 polls.

President Akufo-Addo in a televised address on Sunday, April 19, 2020, lifted the Covid-19 induced partial lockdown imposed on two major cities in the country.

Security personnel were deployed to the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi areas to enforce the order.

The President cited a number of reasons for the decision including the severe hardship on citizens within the locked-down areas as well as the ability to undertake aggressive contact tracing of infected persons.

But Sammy Gyamfi who disagrees with the suspension is of the view that the decision only shows that President Nana Akufo-Addo does not prioritize the lives of Ghanaians.

“What the President has essentially done, is to place political expediency ahead of Public safety. And what that shows, is that human lives don’t matter to President Akufo-Addo,” the NDC Communication Officer added in the statement.

Prior to the lockdown on March 27, 2020, COVID-19 cases in Ghana were 137 and four deaths.

At the time President Akufo-Addo announced the suspension of the three-week partial lockdown on Sunday, April 19, 2020, the cases had shot up astronomically to 1,042 with nine deaths.

Meanwhile, the ban on public gathering and closure of the country’s borders are still in full force.

Read full statement below

LIFTING OF PARTIAL LOCKDOWN BY PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO; A CHOICE OF POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY OVER PUBLIC SAFETY 

The lifting of the partial lockdown by President Akufo-Addo, at a time the country is witnessing astronomical increases in positive COVID-19 cases, particularly horizontal infections, is totally premature and lacks scientific basis.

It is clearly a politically-motivated decision, calculated to allow the EC the space to undertake its entrenched and illogical determination to compile a new voters’ register for the 2020 general elections and nothing more.

Either than that, why will President Akufo-Addo impose a partial lockdown with the objective of halting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, at a time we had only recorded 137 cases across just four (4) regions of the country and with 5 deaths, but turn around to lift the partial lockdown, at a time our positive case count has galloped to 1,042, across ten (10) regions and with nine (9) deaths?

Countries with far lower cases have not lifted or relaxed their lockdown restrictions. Yet, we who are currently the country with the highest COVID-19 cases in West Africa, have against expert advice, lifted our partial lockdown. Doesn’t this defy science and commonsense?

President Akufo-Addo’s decision to lift the lockdown at this crucial time, is a reckless political gamble that portends great danger for this nation. Ghanaians must never forgive him if this unimaginable decision exacerbates our COVID-19 situation. The blame for any fatality that is occasioned by this reckless decision must lie squarely with the President.

What the President has essentially done, is to place political expediency ahead of Public safety. And what that shows, is that human lives don’t matter to President Akufo-Addo.

May God be our help.

SAMMY GYAMFI Esq.

By Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH