Ghana FA reaches amicable settlement with angry youth over coronavirus centre

The Ghana Football Association (GFA)'s offer of hosting an isolation center for coronavirus patients at its national camping facility is set to be carried out by government after the federation reached an amicable settlement with the youth of Prampram.

GFA President Kurt Okraku along with government health officials will conclude talks with the irate youth on Monday for the facility to be used for the intended purpose of treating those who have contracted the deadly disease.

This comes after the GFA approached the leadership of youth, the chiefs and political authorities in of the area on Sunday to assuage them over their fears of the isolation centre being held in their town which is close to the capital Accra.

The GFA's offer to government to use its national camping facility for free as an isolation center for coronavirus patients hit a snag on Sunday morning after angry youth protested against the decision and called for it to be withdrawn with immediate effect.

The youth of Prampram, where the Ghanaman Soccer Centre of Excellence is located, have vowed to violently make it impossible for the centre to be used as an isolation center for Covid-19.

But the GFA's approach of directly engaging the youth seems to have brought the desired results following Sunday's talks which will conclude on Monday with firm assurances.

"The GFA and government officials came here yesterday and we had a meeting over the issue. It was a good meeting. We feared that the people of Prampram work at the centre which means the disease could spread to our area," a youth leader told Ghanasoccernet.com on Monday.

"We have received the necessary assurances that - government will work to ensure that the deadly disease doesn't spread to Prampram. We will continue the meeting today and end the matter for the benefit of the entire country."

The young people numbering over hundred took to the streets of the town on Sunday to register their disgust over the GFA's decision to offer the centre as the place to fight the deadly disease.

This comes just 24 hours after the GFA announced that it s offering the 1000-bed facility to the government should the need arise for them to use it in the fight against the pandemic.

However, the youth in Prampram said they won't allow the government to use the facility which is in their community insisting it is a dangerous and callous move.

They claim it would be dangerous for their families if infected patients are brought there since the disease is highly infectious and contagious and would spread into their community.

The government has struggled to find places to use as isolation centres as Ghana’s case count rises which prompted the GFA to make the offer to host the patients.

When approved, the Centre could serve patients from Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions, taking into consideration its strategic location.

This week, some residents in Cape Coast protested alleged plans to use the St. Augustine's College as an isolation centre.