Maximization of resources needed in fight against coronavirus – NCCE

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has commended efforts by stakeholders in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 saying there is the need for coordinated teamwork and sharing of resources by non-essential institutions.

"There is the urgent need for all partners to combine their technical and operational abilities to support the national health response in this crisis to ensure that people in need receive all essential health care and information.

"I wish to humbly suggest that the various Regional Ministers should liaise with their colleague Minister at the Ministry of Education to fashion out a policy whereby vehicles in the various educational institutions can be released to the NCCE and other state institutions at the Regional and District levels purposely for the COVID-19 public education campaign," the NCCE said.

Mr Eric Adu, Ahafo NCCE Regional Director, speaking in a telephone interview with the Ghana News Agency on the Commission's Anti COVID-19 Public Education Campaign across the country, said institutions which are not operating fully must release their vehicles to frontline public institutions to use.

He said in order to safeguard the proper handling of the vehicles, the actual drivers of these vehicles from their mother institutions must also be seconded to the secondary user bodies to be in charge of the driving of the vehicles.

He also suggested that the Regional Coordinating Councils should also direct the various District Chief Executives to take care of the fuel and daily feeding allowance of the drivers of such vehicles for the public education campaign.

The NCCE Ahafo Regional Director said since these vehicles do not have fitted public address systems, a special appeal can be made to the Trustees of COVID-19 National Trust Fund to purchase these detachable public address systems to be fitted temporarily in these vehicles.

Mr Adu also called on benevolent institutions also to lend its vehicles and drivers to the NCCE for the same purpose as the Church of Pentecost of Ghana has done by donating 12 of its Cinema.

Vans plus fuel and drivers for NCCE Anti COVID-19 public education.

He also commended government for providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the NCCE and appealed for more financial and logistical resources to enable the Commission to continue vigorously with public education.

He said the NCCE has the human capacity to ensure that the citizenry get the right information at their doorsteps and to incentivize them to adhere to the containment protocols as the surest means to break the chain of transmission.

Mr Adu said those who are anticipating that things will return to normalcy without their contribution to this fight must begin to revise their notes and join the fray, because no contribution is too small and everybody counts in this fight.

He said Ghana is dealing with an emergency of an unprecedented scale with not only health implications but also legal, economic and socio-political dimensions, "we must work together to defeat the enemy COVID-19.