Akufo-Addo has failed to make people realize coronavirus is real - LPG Chairman

Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the opposition Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Mr Horace Grant is blaming the Akufo-Addo Government for failing to let the general public see the reality of the Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana.

According to him, the government's failure has paved a way for unnecessary speculations that the disease is not real but mere propaganda as some even hold the belief that their faith in God makes them immune against the novel coronavirus.

In a press release copied to Peacefmonline.com, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman for LPG indicated that Ghanaians are downplaying the reality of the disease as they have blatantly ignored the COVID-19 safety protocols due to the failure of government to make the disease real to them as they have not seen anyone suffering from the disease or being killed by it.

“This has made room for unnecessary speculations that the disease is not real but mere propaganda. Some even believe that their faith in God or a supernatural being gives them immunity against the Coronavirus. It is so unfortunate that people are downplaying the reality of the disease and have blatantly ignored the Covid-19 safety protocols. They argue that they have not seen anyone suffering from the disease or been killed by it, hence the disease does not exist,” he said.

He commended the Akufo-Addo government for managing the pandemic well in the country by instituting some policies and programmes to control the spread, treat the infected people and also alleviate the burden of the pandemic on the finances of the citizenry but feared that the government has not been able to convince Ghanaians that the disease is real, militating the collective fight against the disease.

“Government has done well in managing the pandemic in Ghana by instituting some policies and programmes to control the spread, treat the infected people and also alleviate the burden of the pandemic on the finances of the citizenry. However, the inability of the government to convince the people that Covid-19 is real is militating against our collective fight against the disease”.

“The lack of fear for new coronavirus by the citizenry is evident in how social distance and personal safety protocols are grossly disregarded in the ongoing voter registration exercise”.

To him, President Akufo-Addo’s assertion in one of his address to the nation that majority of those who have died had other underlining health conditions has created a room for people to think that the disease is not deadly.

“Government as a matter of urgency must produce Covid-19 documentaries on people in isolation centres, intensive care unit and the burial protocols of dead victims to show on television as evidence of the disease. The fear-arousal communication strategy has proven to be effective in causing behavioural change. Also, public education against the stigmatization of Covid-19 patience must be intensified,” he suggested to the government.