We’ll politicise coronavirus until Akufo-Addo and appointees are tested

Politics of Wednesday, 1 April 2020

Source: peacefmonline.com

2020-04-01

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General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has strongly asserted that the opposition party will “forever politicize” the deadly Coronavirus.

Mr Asiedu Nketiah believes the Nana Addo-led government is being “untruthful” to Ghanaians.

According to him, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and some of his appointees were all exposed to the virus after their recent visit to Norway, and could be infected.

“I really don’t understand this call not to politicize…governance itself is politics; so there is no way to delink politics from governance matters….and COVID-19…

“We [NDC] will not stop politicizing the issues until Nana Addo and his appointees are tested and make public their result just as other leaders in the world are doing. They are all exposed to the virus…the government cannot say our first case was recorded on March 12th. It is a palpable falsehood if the government claims so…because evidence abounds that it was way back before that (in February)….,” he said in an interview with NEAT FM’s morning show ‘Ghana Montie’.

Ghana’s 1st COVID-19 Case

Gunnar Andras Holm, a senior official of the Norwegian Embassy in Ghana tested positive for COVID-19 days after he was pictured with President Nana Addo and some government officials in Norway.

Many have claimed President Nana Addo and his appointees might have been exposed to the virus, hence, calling on them to be tested.

Prez & Some Appointees Infected?

The speculations were based on the belief that the two – President Akufo-Addo and Osafo-Maafo – had come into contact with the Norwegian ambassador who was Ghana’s first case of coronavirus.

Not True!

But Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, debunked the allegations, averring that neither the President nor any of his appointees have shown symptoms of the deadly virus, let alone test positive.

Perhaps to further give credence to the Information Minister’s assertions, on Monday, March 30th, the Senior Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo clad in a black suit with a nose mask on his face, made an appearance in Parliament by taking a seat behind the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, as the latter detailed the impact of the pandemic on Ghana’s economy to members of the House.

Figure Put Out Not Accurate

Touching on why the NDC will still politicize the COVID-19 pandemic, the NDC Chief Scribe said he is doubtful of the figure for the number of confirmed cases put out by the government.

“Some government officials who were with President Akufo-Addo at the recent opening of Ghana’s Embassy in Norway upon their arrival in Ghana have tested positive. Our Health officials leading the fight against the coronavirus have been silent about the number of infected people. The Norwegian Ambassador who attended that sod-cutting event is infected with the COVID-19 and he was in close contact with some members of the Ghanaian delegation at that ceremony….is this politics when we call on the people at the helm of affairs to go for a test? How can you tell us that nobody is infected when they haven’t gone for a test…they should undergo a test and publicly declare the results….,” he said.