Mahama, NDC contribute to Manya Krobo coronavirus fund

National Democratic Congress (NDC) national chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo on Saturday, June 6, 2020, led a team of party executives to donate various items to the Manya Krobo COVID-19 emergency fund.

The team including former health minister and member of the NDC’s Covid-19 Technical Team, Alex Segbefia, Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi, parliamentary aspirants and party executives from the constituency, presented the items to the fund management committee at the forecourts of the Manya Krobo Traditional Council.

The items comprised sets of PPEs, gallons of sanitizers, gallons of liquid soap, boxes of treated bottled water, several nose masks, and quantities of tissue papers.

Party chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo who said the party was donating the items on behalf of its flagbearer for the 2020 polls, John Dramani Mahama acknowledged that the country was not in normal times and that it was important for all stakeholders to continually support government's effort in addressing the challenges caused by the pandemic as it was not the latter’s responsibility alone.

The former president’s empathy, the chairman, added motivated the idea to institute the party’s COVID-19 team made up of various individuals with various expertise.

He expressed satisfaction that some of its suggestions presented to the government to contain the spread of the coronavirus have been included in the government’s intervention program, adding that the NDC was committed to constantly supporting the government to completely eradicate the virus from the country.

The NDC chairman recalled several interventions made by the 2020 flagbearer of the opposition party, John Mahama, including donations to households and institutions leading the fight against the spread of the viral infection in the country.

Mr. Mahama during the lockdown donated relief items and food items to some 20,000 vulnerable households in distress during the lockdown, as well as the donation of PPEs to several hospitals throughout the country.

Mr. Ofosu Ampofo who said most frontline health workers were reluctant to attend to suspected or confirmed cases of the disease said the development was due to the lack of PPEs in the various health facilities.

He emphasized the NDC’s readiness and commitment to continue to support the Ghana Health Service (GHS) in the national fight against the disease.

Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, Ebenezer Okletey Terlabi said the former president was motivated to institute the party’s COVID-19 technical team due to his commitment to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of his support for the fight, the MP said the NDC presidential candidate sent the team to donate the items to the fund as cannot do it alone.

He maintained that the fight against COVID-19 is a collective one and that is why the party is embarking on this special donation to the Fund and other frontline institutions.

Konor of the Manya Krobo Traditional Area, Nene Sakite II who expressed his delight at the support of the opposition party said COVID-19 was not only a Krobo disease but a worldwide phenomenon that needed to be combated head-on.

He commended the former president for his show of support for the pandemic even as an opposition political leader and not President.

He added, that the former president should be appreciated for the gesture.

On his part, Mr. Alex Segbefia who made the presentation on behalf of the former President commended the frontline health workers for their selfless services to the nation.

Receiving the items, secretary to the COVID-19 emergency fund, Godfred Ofoe Caesar thanked the NDC for coming on board to support the fund, adding that the efforts would go a long way to help it fight the pandemic.

He praised the efforts shown by the Ghana Health Services during this pandemic and promised that the support would be strictly channeled into its intended purpose to achieve the intended results.

He also recalled some donations done by the fund’s management team to two health directorates in the Manya Krobo Traditional Area.