‘Failure to use Heritage Fund deadly as coronavirus’ – DCE tells NDC

District Chief Executive (DCE) for Akatsi South in the Volta Region, Leo-Nelson Adzidogah has urged the minority in parliament to reconsider their stance on the usage of the Heritage Fund to fight the deadly coronavirus the country is engulfed with.

According to him, government’s inability to have access to the fund to fight the disease is as deadly as the virus itself, considering the level at which the global pandemic is fast spreading and causing grave disruption to all sectors of social lives in countries.

The DCE in an article stated that, “our inability to use this fund is as deadly as the virus. If the social protection safety net for the future generation is this Fund, then it must be used now for positive impact on them in the future. We cannot allow this generation to go down the pit, otherwise, the next generation cannot be produced”.

Mr. Adzidogah, who is also the NPP parliamentary candidate in the area stressed that this is not the time to be playing politics, because the issue at stake now is a matter of death, therefore it requires everyone to join hands to fight the disease.

He stressed that “what is important now is for everybody to join hands to fight this deadly cancer which is moving very fast to decimate our population. We do not need to do politics as usual with this matter of death. We cannot play politics with our lives otherwise our actions will be regarded as insensitivity to this deadly situation. We cannot watch ourselves die without taking any step to avert this looming disaster and catastrophe. Let us appreciate the magnitude of the situation and respond appropriately to demonstrate our humanity”.

Below is the full statement

GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO THE FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19); FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS AND THE USUAL POLITICKING OF NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS

Coronavirus (COVID-19) hit the international community with high degree of trepidation and fear. Most countries including the most powerful ones are desperately formulating appropriate responses in the fields of finance, law, medicine, technology, administrative and all manner of approaches to deal with this deadly virus.

The virus has caused disruption in businesses, economy, politics and social lives in all countries. No country is immune against this virus. As deadly as it is, we are all seeking spiritual cover under the banner of Christ the Jesus. Prayers are being said fervently seeking the divine intervention from the Overlord of the universe.

Strange as it, people begin to attribute the outbreak of the virus to the sinful world in which we are living. People begin to acknowledge their sinful nature and are asking God for mercy. Intercessional prayers are being said on the behalf of the nation by our revered religious leaders.

Various interventions and financial packages to mitigate the negative socio-economic impact are announced as means to give hope and sustain the social lives of the people. These are measures aim at putting life back into businesses and keeping jobs to make life bearable for the people.

Not all countries have the same financial strength so therefore the less endowed are falling on other countries whose fortunes are much better for support. It is in this direction that Ghana has decided to go in go for the one hundred million dollars ($100m) support to supplement its domestic resources to be able to adequately fight this deadly virus.

What is important now is for everybody to join hands to fight this deadly cancer which is moving very fast to decimate our population. We do not need to do politics as usual with this matter of death. We cannot play politics with our lives otherwise our actions will be regarded as insensitivity to this deadly situation. We cannot watch ourselves die without taking any step to avert this looming disaster and catastrophe. Let us appreciate the magnitude of the situation and respond appropriately to demonstrate our humanity.

I do not believe any Ghanaian can see death engulfing the country and refuses to join hands to ward off that threat. Our loving spirit for each other will compel us to come together to fight the threat. This virus is a serious threat to the survival of human race. We must fight it with all our might. Every possible means must be found to contain it; financial, legal, administrative, technological and what have you.

It is in this regard that His Excellency, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has been personally involved in the fight against this virus. He has been addressing the nation as a way of giving update on how government is and intends handling the situation. The approach of the President in handling this situation is highly commendable. We would not have been where we are today without his proactive policy direction concerning the containment of this deadly virus. We must all support the President in this hard times to deliver the elimination of this virus from Ghana.

It is this spirit to fight this deadly virus that the government decides to fall on the Heritage Fund as a supplement to the one hundred million dollars ($100) support. This will make it possible to launch attack on this menacing virus. Very unfortunately, the Minority in Parliament is kicking against the proposal to use this fund at this critical moment of our time. We are not in the normal times. All manner of resources must be marshalled and applied to fight this virus to restore normal lives.

The Minority argues that it is not yet time for the government to utilize this Fund and that the Fund is set out for a purpose and we are not yet there. According to the Act that set up this Fund the purpose is to provide an endowment Fund to support the development of the future generation when the petroleum reserves have been depleted. The letter and spirit of this enactment is clear and laudable.

However, we must produce the future generation now. When this productive population becomes extinct because of this deadly virus who will produce the future generation to benefit from this fund. Therefore, the use of this fund at this time will produce two results namely; saving the lives of the present generation and production of the next generation who will be the beneficiary of this Fund. Our inability to use this fund is as deadly as the virus. If the social protection safety net for the future generation is this Fund then it must be used now for positive impact on them in the future. We cannot allow this generation to go down the pit, otherwise, the next generation cannot be produced.

It is my humble appeal to the Minority to reconsider their decision in the interest of the next generation which the Act seeks to protect. In this regard, let us do away with politics in this matter. The majority is also equally concerned with the next generation and how to bequeath an everlasting legacy to them hence the introduction of the Free Senior School which will transform the lives of the next generation better. Let our focus be on how to deal decisively with this virus and ensure a healthy nation for our future generation.