The Chamber for Local Governance (ChaLoG) has criticized the government’s manner of feeding the vulnerable saying the spectacle is a recipe for disaster.
“This is because the much touted WHO protocol of social distancing is completely nonexistent in almost all the areas ChaLoG assessed,” a statement by the Chamber said.
ChaLoG blames the overcrowding scenes at the designated food distribution centres on the government’s refusal to use the appropriate agency (MMDAs) who are vested with the power and responsibility to work and support all vulnerable people in the communities on a day – to – day basis prior to the COVID 19 pandemic in Ghana, to spearhead the identification of the vulnerable people to be fed.
“This action of government has undoubtedly opened the flood gates for all manner of people who clearly do not fall within the bracket of vulnerable people to throng the designated food distribution centres to be fed because it is ‘free food’ thereby creating the opportunity for people to mass up on a daily basis to be fed at a time of a lockdown to rather enforce social distancing to help stem the spread of COVID 19,” it said.
ChaLoG in commending feeding the vulnerable initiative taken by the government in the COVID 19 fight, is however, opposed to the specific selection of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and Faith Based Organisations (FBO) to spearhead the cooking, handling and distribution of food to the vulnerable in the lock down areas.
The Chamber said its appropriate for the various Metropolitan/Municipal/District Assemblies (MMDAs) to take charge of the move since they’ve Social Welfare and Community Development Departments that sees to the day to day issues and concerns of vulnerable people in all the MMDAs across the country owing to their comprehensive and up to date data on vulnerable people.
“ChaLoG therefore strongly calls on government to do the right thing by fully engaging the MMDAs (Social Welfare & Community Development) to take charge for the strict identification of the vulnerable people using their comprehensive database to reach out to the real vulnerable people in the communities affected by the lockdown, so as to help government achieve its originally intended aim and also to save government the wanton dissipation of its financial resources from feeding people who in the strictest sense of the word are not vulnerable people.”
