Today in History: We'll kill ourselves before coronavirus does - Ghanaians cry over hiked prices of food, services

When Coronavirus struck in Ghana, it brought with it several effects including severe economic hardship gravely felt by the poor.

At a time when lockdowns were eminent and there was a mad rush for basic necessities resulting in an astronomical increase in prices, GhanaWeb in late March 2020, visited several markets in the nation’s capital.

Some Ghanaians who spoke to GhanaWeb shared their economic concerns and fears about the pandemic.

Read the full article as published by GhanaWeb on March 30, 2020, below

The onset of the global pandemic, the coronavirus has brought with it, unending distress and broken systems as the world grapples with its effects.

Chief among the struggles is the increase in demand for basic foodstuffs and amenities for homes and families.

Several service providers and traders have astronomically increased the prices of their wares and services.

The phenomenon has left a bad taste in the mouths of several Ghanaians who have called for government's intervention against players who are profiteering in the provision of their services.

The development, according to many will result in the poor and others who are unable to afford to procure the overpriced items to die of hunger even before the Coronavirus steps in their homes.

During GhanaWeb’s team visit to a number of markets in the capital, some aggrieved Ghanaians who had been patronizing goods and services ahead of the directive on lockdown decried the outrageous prices placed on the items they were purchasing.

“Food items such as tomatoes which used to be priced at 2gh are now pegged at 15gh which is not fair. We implore government to dispatch military personnel to discipline traders feeding off us by profiteering,” an upset Ghanaian woman told GhanaWeb.

"The market women are the ones rather killing us instead of the coronavirus because the cheating is too much, government should intervene, otherwise we will all die," she added.

Although stakeholders and authorities including the Information Minister and Food and Agriculture Minister have openly condemned and cautioned against the phenomenon, traders and service providers remain in the practice.

Meanwhile, Food and Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has assured all Ghanaians there is enough food in the system for everybody during the lockdown period. He said this during a briefing some hours after the commencement of the partial lockdown in Accra and Kumasi.