Leaders of some six (6) major parties in Ghana have pledged their support for Government’s response programme initiated nearly a month ago to arrest the spread of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 in Ghana.
The political leaders made the pledge at a meeting with the President of the Republic Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at the Jubilee House today the 3rd of April 2020, as part of Government’s consultations with identifiable institutions and groups in the country.
In his brief remarks, President Akufo-Addo said the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19, does not have regard for political persuasions or ideologies and it is for that reason that he feels led to meet political leaders to pick their thoughts and opinions for the COVID-19 National fight.
“The disease doesn’t have a political colour. It doesn’t know Democrats or Republicans, Tores or Labour, NDC or NPP. It is attacking human beings and that recognition is what should drive our collective response as a people to this pandemic” President Akufo-Addo said.
All the six top leaders of the political parties who attended the meeting had occasion to address the gathering before the meeting moved into a closed-door session.
National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, was first to speak.
He indicated that the NDC is ready to offer any assistance to Government in the fight to stop the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana. He also called on the President to grant Amnesty to some radio stations that are having regulatory challenges with the National Communications Authority (NCA) to allow them join the education drive on COVID-19.
President Akufo-Addo in a response to the NDC chairman’s request noted that it will be difficult for him to interfere with laid down regulatory processes when it comes to the work of the National Communications Authority (NCA).
“They were not closed down by me, that is the first point, so it is difficult for me to be the one to unlock them” President Akufo-Addo said.
The President urged the radio stations to follow the dictates of the law in order to get back on track to serve their various customers and listeners.
The Chairman of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Freddie Blay, the 2016 Vice Presidential candidate of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) Brigitte Dzogbennuku, the Convention People’s Party’s Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, Dr. Edward Mahama of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and the 2016 flagbearer of the National Democratic Party (NDP) and former First Lady of the Republic, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, all took turns to share their thoughts and to offer the support of their respective parties to the national agenda against the spread of COVID-19 in Ghana.