Involve Local Radio Stations On The Education On COVID-19 In Bono Region

The Bono Regional Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress has expressed worry about the seemingly low level of public education in the media waves in the region in the heat of exponential recordings of cases of coronavirus in Ghana.

The Regional Communications Officer opined that in dire situations such as the coronavirus pandemic, one of the surest ways to curb the community spread is to intensify public education and create the requisite awareness as has been outlined by the World Health Organization which, has been corroborated by various health professionals.

The Information Minister speaking on Good Morning Ghana on Metro TV morning program announced that the government, aside from the many other measures such as the fumigation of the market and public places, through its agencies has decided to intensify public education on coronavirus across the country and hence the need to release a uniformed jingle to serve that purpose.

It will be recalled that President Akufo-Addo on Saturday, 21st March 2020 in his third address to the nation on the lethal cases of coronavirus in Ghana, reiterated government commitment in providing the needed resources such as test kids to the frontline workers in addition to the US$100m amount set aside to fight this pandemic in Ghana.

Mr. Charles Akowuah Tuffour, the Regional Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress appealed to the government to make some tokens out of the US$100m amount set aside to fight the coronavirus available to the various private local radio stations in Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions to air the coronavirus jingle on their airwaves to intensify public education within the regions.

He added that out of the over fifty (50) radio stations within these three regions, his observation has revealed that only Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation (Radio BAR) has been given the jingle and authorised to play it on its airwaves, an effort he described as inadequate and called for an immediate involvement of the local radio stations if the government indeed wanted to achieve its purpose of reaching out to the masses especially when unconfirmed sources at the Regional Health Directorate indicate that its staff only received their first coronavirus training last week.

Mr. Akowuah stated that there are over fifteen unapproved entry routes from Cote d'Ivoire to these three regions and that makes the regions very vulnerable in terms of the rate of coronavirus infections from the neighbouring countries when these countries have also recorded cases of this pandemic disease.

The Flagbearer and Leader of the NDC, HE John Dramani Mahama at his speech at the end of the three-day fasting and prayer announced an eleven member team that is to provide the needed technical support to the government in dealing with this coronavirus pandemic.

Currently, Ghana has recorded twenty-four (24) confirmed cases of coronavirus with one casualty (death) as of Sunday, March 22nd, 2020.

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GOVERNMENT MUST MAKE AVAILABLE THE COVID-19 JINGLES TO THE PRIVATE LOCAL STATIONS TO AIR

The Bono Regional Communications Office of the National Democratic Congress has observed with worry, about the monopolization of the COVID-19 jingle which was put together by the government to intensify public education.

The checks of the Office find out that, out of the over fifty (50) Radio Stations in Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions, only Radio BAR which is a government own enterprise (an affiliate of Ghana Broadcasting Cooperation - GBC) has been given this jingle and authorised to air on its airwave.

Having taken notice of over fifteen unapproved entry routes from Cote d'Ivoire to these three regions, the Office sees these regions to be vulnerable and have a higher rate of infection from these unapproved routes and hence call on the government to make some tokens from the US$100m amount he has set aside to combat this pandemic available to the various private media houses to use their platforms to augment that of Radio BAR to reach out to the masses for effective public education to achieve the intended purposes.

The Office also calls on the government to intensify the training of the health professionals in the regions and also provide them with the needed resources and tools in this dire situation at hand.

Signed

Charles Akowuah Tuffour

Regional Communications Officer