Depoliticise Fight Against COVID-19!’—TTS Prez Cautions As NAFTI Rector Praises Zoomlion

Politicians have been asked to refrain from politicising the country’s fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which is ravaging countries across the globe, President of the Trinity Theological Seminary (TTS), Legon, Professor J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu FGA, has cautioned.

Speaking to a cross-section of journalists during a disinfection and fumigation exercise by the Vector Control Unit of Zoomlion Ghana Limited (ZGL) in the TTS campus, Prof Asamoah-Gyadu described as “sad and unfortunate” attempts by some of the country’s politicians to politicise Ghana’s battle against COVID-19.

The exercise formed part of ZGL’s corporate social responsibility (CSR), as many tertiary institutions, churches, and state institutions have already benefitted from the initiative.

“This is a time we all have to come together and fight a common enemy—[COVID],” adding that “we have to wise up and understand that the virus is not a matter to toy with,” Prof Asamoah-Gyadu warned.

When asked about whether the government should consider reopening schools, the president of TTS made it clear that, that decision should be left for the technical experts to make.

“It should not be a political decision to reopen schools. We should rely on the advice of the experts,” he advised.

Prof Asamoah-Gyadu, therefore, seized the opportunity to commend Zoomlion for carrying out the disinfection exercise in his institute.

“This fumigation and disinfection exercise by Zoomlion means a lot to us, especially when the campus has not been disinfected for a very long time,” he said.

While applauding Zoomlion for the initiative, the president of TTS noted that the institute has employed a number of measures to protect its taff members on campus from contracting the virus.

These measures, he said, included the placing of alcohol-based hand sanitisers at vantage points for staff members to use in sanitising their hands.

“Also, there are Veronica buckets, liquid soaps and tissues in front of almost every facility on campus to ensure that staff members regularly wash their hands even before they enter into any of the facilities,” he said.

Additionally, Prof Asamoah-Gyadu indicated that the institute was strictly enforcing the safety protocol of wearing of nose masks.

He went on to add that those who did not comply were turned back.

Earlier, Zoomlion disinfected the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC) headquartered at Abossey-Okai, Accra. Among the church’s facilities disinfected were the Youth Block, Children’s Block, Multi-Purpose Centre, the main church auditorium with its attached offices, and the whole compound.

The company also disinfected the National Film and Television Institute (NAFTI), Cantonments, Accra.

After the exercise, the Rector of NAFTI, Dr. Samuel Nai, expressed his profound gratitude to Zoomlion and its partners for the gesture.

And though he indicated that it was in the institute’s plan to fumigate and disinfect the school, he described as timely the initiative by Zoomlion to carry out the exercise.

According to Dr. Sai, his institute has embossed the “No Face Masks, No Entry” on the gate of the main entrance to emphasize the importance NAFTI attaches to helping to prevent the spread of the virus.

“We also have Veronica buckets and alcohol-based hand sanitisers placed at vantage points to encourage its use by staff members, especially now that students are home.