President Akufo-Addo has advised that Members of Parliament and the general public to desist from instigating tension and spreading fear and panic over the deadly coronavirus outbreak.
Delivering his fourth State of the Nation Address in Parliament today, February 20, President Akufo-Addo said MPs should rather take steps to calm the situation down.
According to him, the coronavirus outbreak should not be an avenue for political opponents to try and score points.
“….does not benefit anybody to try to score a point by introducing ill-judged politics in this ongoing medical cosmodrome and humanitarian tragedy..”
Speaking on government interventions, President Akufo-Addo said in these difficult times for China they have written to the Chinese government to express the sympathy of the Ghanaian people, and also the government has supplied logistics to the students in China.
“Most of these children are on Chinese scholarships when the crises started the Chinese government has kept up and supplied them with food and other logistics, the Ghana government through its mission has also supplied logistics and the embassy has given 500 dollars to the students, however, we know that no amount of logistics will make up for the extreme stress that these young people are doing through.”
Expressing his view on the campaign by the Minority for the students to be evacuated, Akufo-Addo advised MPs to rather focus on how to reduce the various tension around the outbreak
“I entreat members of this honourable house to set an example by helping to pour oil over troubled waters instead of instigating tension and spreading fear and panic among the young people..”
He stated that the government has not ruled out the option of evacuation but they are in touch with experts who will advise on that if the need arises.
“Government is in constant touch with an expert on the subject who advised that the basic principle of public health is to confine the disease to its area of origin…”
“We have not ruled out the option to evacuate..” he added.
