Coronavirus mass testing: 'Asiedu Nketia advertising his ignorance' - John Boadu

A leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has lashed out at the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia for insisting that the Akufo-Addo government conducts mass testing in all the lockdown areas.

The NDC Chief Scribe is reported to have called on the Akufo-Addo government to conduct mass testing in the lockdown areas and not only limit the testing to contact tracing, since that alone will not solve the spread of the virus.

He is further quoted to have said that the government should focus rather on buying more test kits for the entire lockdown areas than focusing on incentives for the health workers who are calling on the government for PPEs.

But Mr John Boadu believes the NDC General Secretary is speaking from an uninformed position.

To him, Asiedu Nketiah is displaying his ignorance since he is not privy to the number of people in the partial lockdown areas; hence, his hasty call on the government to conduct mass testing.

Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning program, John Boadu hinted that the United States of America does not even have enough test kits, hence the suggestion by Asiedu Nketia to conduct mass testing for over 7 million people locked down in the country is inconceivable.

“The number of people in the lockdown areas in the country is more than 7 million. Even in the USA, they don’t have enough test kits . . . so if Asiedu Nketia says we should have tested the 7 million people in the lockdown areas, then he does not know what he is saying,” he chided.

The NPP Chief Scribe emphatically stated that it is not possible for Ghana to come by test kits for all the over 7 million people in the partial lockdown areas even if the country can afford to purchase them.



“. . . because he heard people talk about mass testing he has decided to join the chorus. He should show me a country that has the capacity to test even over 2 million people,” he scolded.

While pointing out that there are protocols to follow in the purchase of the test kits, he accused the NDC General Secretary of commenting on issues without a proper understanding of the nitty-gritty involved.

“He (Asiedu Nketiah) doesn’t know that there are protocols in purchasing the test kits, where every country has a total number allocated to them . . . We can’t come by 1 million test kits even if we have the means to purchase them. Why are we exhibiting and advertising our ignorance about this issue? He is exhibiting his ignorance . . . I just can't understand,” he slammed.

He wondered how the main opposition NDC will be able to get 7 million test kits if they were in power to conduct mass testing for all the people in the partial lockdown areas.