Cooperation Of All: The Best Way To Contain COVID-19

It is clear that Ghana has gotten its share of the world crises as part of the global village. It is also clear that no single individual or organisation in Ghana is responsible for this pandemic called COVID 19 we are facing as one nation.

In times like this, the best attitude we can put up is to set aside all our differences and do whatever is expected of us as individuals, state institutions, corporate bodies, political parties, religious institutions, the list is listless. This calls for unimaginable cooperation of all. It is against this backdrop that I deem it necessary to caution all of us never to think about taking advantage of this situation for any selfish gain.

Already, there is news of owners of pharmacy and other shops hiking the prices of sanitizers because demand has gone high. This beats common sense and logic. Have they sat down to ask themselves what will happen to their friends, relatives, or themselves when a poor Bunkpurugu bo,y like Bala Ali catches COVID 19 because he is not able to afford sanitizers that they have unreasonably increased their prices? Those selling the sanitizers should have just hinted the government about the need to influence the importation of large quantities of the substance since they were the first people to realise that demand had gone high.

Since politicians direct society by setting goals for the nation, I want to first of all look at what the government and the opposition should be doing to lead in the fight against the spread of this pandemic. It is a public record that the government has already done a lot in tackling the issue. The Commander-in-Chief has already come out with directives that the whole nation is expected to follow. Thank God the Ghana Health Service is doing its best to play its technocratic role in support of the government to achieve its goal in containing the virus. Nevertheless, we are looking up to the government to provide more logistics just as it had always done in time of such crises.

I am yet to hear what the largest opposition party in the country is doing to help the government in power to achieve its goal of preventing the spread of the COVID 19. As someone with humanity background, I know very well that the moral responsibility of the opposition is to support the ruling government in times of crisis. For this reason, I want to call on the opposition to come out with any form of support they can offer, be it humanitarian or whatever.

The industry players including the corporate bodies are also needed in times like this. This is the time for them to show love to the very people whose existence enticed them to invest in the country. We are their market. When Ghana drastically loses its population to COVID 19, it is going to affect the patronage of their products. For this reason, I would want to appeal to all these industry players to support the government with funds and logistics to combat the spread of the virus. After all, this is their social responsibility.

Ghanaian workers who have role to play in the fight against the spread of COVID 19 must also show high level of patriotism and nationalism. That poor and uncouth attitude of feeling important when we are needed to do the work for which we are paid must stop. The grassroot level governments like the MMDAs must do well to supplement the effort of the central government by way of providing logistics and resources needed by the public workers to effectively do their work.

The general public must also be responsible enough to comply with the directives of government. As individuals, we should try as much as possible to take the education given to us seriously. Just as we expect the ignorant citizens who might be influenced by the poor Ghanaian attitude to trivialise the education given, we the officers in charge must also be innovative enough to adjust to the culture of the people. By so doing, we will be able to make our public education exercise acceptable to them.

All the itemised responsibilities bores down to the fact that it will take the cooperation of all to give COVID 19 a technical knock out.

Bala Ali
Mpohor District Information Officer