Nana Addo’s reasons for lifting lockdown confusing and contradictory - Kofi Gane

Independent Presidential aspirant, Marricke Kofi Gane has described as confusing reasons given by President Akufo-Addo before lifting the lockdown directive.

Posting his opinion on his official Facebook page, he said although the president stated in his address that his reasons were backed by science, the reasons were contradictory.

"The President says everything leading to these decisions have been backed by science – I say the speech was contradictory and confusing! On a night cases jumped to 1042 we lift a Lockdown effected at 141 cases, most cases we are told are asymptomatic meaning most people infected will be walking around with no signs, regional test centres are announced but not yet up and running, ban on public gathering is still on but the Lockdown is Lifted? This may have been Spiritually, Economically or Politically motivated but certainly not backed by Science. Maybe the Battle is indeed the Lord’s!! May God, Help Us, ” he wrote.

In reference to the six guidelines by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for countries to follow before ending a lockdown, the aspirant said we have not met any of them.

For each of the six conditions, he made the case that Ghana has not achieved any off them for the lockdown to be lifted.

Read his full post below

The WHO offers 6 guiding principles to determine when it is best for countries to lift Lockdowns during this Coronavirus crisis and they are (my comments in brackets)

Disease transmission must be under control (paradoxically, the jump on the night of announcement is over 200 cases to a total of 1042 cases)



Health systems are able to detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact (We are not able to isolate EVERY contact if need be – most are being home managed)

Hot spot risks are minimized in vulnerable places, such as nursing homes (our vulnerable places are our low income communities – their risks are largely anthropological and basic protocols observance is still low)

Schools, workplaces and other essential places have established preventive measures (most schools and essential places have been closed. Only markets have been sprayed)

The risk of importing new cases can be managed (Borders remain closed but no full controls yet on smuggling of infected persons into Ghana)

Communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to live under a new normal (most communities do not know what a new normal looks like, nor have they been empowered on facing it)

The President says everything leading to these decisions have been backed by science – I say the speech was contradictory and confusing! On a night cases jumped to 1042 we lift a Lockdown effected at 141 cases, most cases we are told are asymptomatic meaning most people infected will be walking around with no signs, regional test centres are announced but not yet up and running, ban on public gathering is still on but the Lockdown is Lifted? This may have been Spiritually, Economically or Politically motivated but certainly not backed by Science. Maybe the Battle is indeed the Lord’s!!

May God, Help Us.

Marricke Kofi Gane

(Independent Presidential Aspirant)