Sadio Mane

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has made a donation of 30 millions FCFA – around 45,000 euros (£41,000) – to the national committee fighting against coronavirus in his home country of Senegal.

The Reds’ player decided to make the donation “spontaneously when he saw the evolution of the situation” with the increase of Covid-19 cases in Senegal, his agent said.

Mane also shared a video on social media where he asked his compatriots to take coronavirus “extremely seriously”.

The 2019 Caf African player of the year also gave his followers advice on preventive measures to apply like “disinfect or wash your hands for at least 30 seconds”.

The total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Senegal has reached 27, but two of the them have returned to health, according to the Ministry of Health.

Senegalese officials announced Monday the suspension of flights between the West African country and several countries in Europe (France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Italy) and in the Northern Africa (Algeria, Tunisia) while Morocco already announced the suspension of flights with Senegal.

All activities at Melwood training ground for Liverpool’s players and staff have been stopped, and, as Liverpool is a Premier League club, their fixtures have been postponed until at least 4 April, when they will be reviewed.

In the meantime, Mane and his teammates have been training using individual programmes.

Meningitis patient receiving treatment in a health facility

Eighteen persons have died from meningitis in the Upper West Region in the last three months, officials of the Ministry of Health have disclosed.

The fatalities recorded are out of 137 suspected cases that were reported at the various health facilities across the 11 districts in the region.

The Regional Disease Control Officer, Justina Zoyah-Diedong, blamed the deaths on the geographical location of the region as well as the annual high and unpredictable temperatures. These factors, she said, makes persons living in the region prone to Meningitis.

According to her, the worst affected districts were Nandom, Nadowli, Jirapa, Daffiama-Bussie-Issa and Lawra, with Nadowli topping the list with seven fatalities so far, followed by Nandom and Jirapa, with five fatalities each, then Lawra, which had recorded one fatality.

“So far, five districts have reported meningitis cases. Analysis by districts of residence shows that all those districts have reported one or two cases of meningitis,” she said, adding that there were fear and anxiety that more cases could be recorded, since the conditions bringing about the disease were still prevalent.

She cautioned against overcrowding and expressed reservation about crowded dormitories in some of the senior high schools in the region.

The Regional Disease Control Officer faulted the delay in getting results of samples from laboratory tests, inadequate funding for the procurement of equipment and poor logistics as some of the impediments to health service delivery in the region.

Meningitis

Meningitis is a dangerous epidemic, and endemic, febrile disease, characterized by inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord, giving rise to severe headaches, tenderness of the back of the neck, paralysis of the ocular muscles.

Meningitis an air-borne disease, is most feared because it is transmittable, fatal and spreads at an extremely fast pace.

But according to health experts, it is not as contagious as perceived.

However, the most prominent sign of cerebrospinal meningitis is a stiff neck, severe headache, seizures, fever and vomiting.

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah

Two Italians were given marching orders after touching down at the Kotoka International Airport on Monday evening, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has revealed.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Oppong Nkrumah disclosed that although the president’s directive banning travels into the country by persons from countries with over 200 cases of coronavirus was yet to take place, they had already started implementing discretionary soft measures.

He noted that government officials had been hinted of details of two passengers on board Air France flight and were due to land Monday evening.

In response, airport authorities ensured that after touching down, the two passengers from the epicenter were prevented from alighting and arrangements were quickly put in place to get them to return.

“…there were two Italians who we were clear were coming from the epicenter. Once we got the confirmation of their details, even though the aircraft was in the air, we had to make arrangements at the airport to ensure that they do not get off the aircraft and they are returned to their originating destination,” he stated.

He further explained that the move was in compliance with the travel advisory directive issued by the President Akufo-Addo to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Government issued a travel advisory commencing Tuesday, March 17, 2020, which indicated that any traveller who, within the last 14 days, has been to a country that has recorded at least 200 cases of persons infected of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, would not be permitted into the Ghanaian jurisdiction, except for Ghanaian citizens and persons with a Ghana residence permit.

The Government has also instructed airlines not to allow such persons to embark; and also urged border posts not permit such travellers into their jurisdiction.

Public transport popularly known as trotro

The Chairman of the Ghana Private Road and Transport Union (GPRTU), Kwame Kuma, has hinted that the Union will no longer allow preachers on their vehicles until further notice.

This according to him is because some preachers spew spits on passengers, an act that has the potential of spreading the dreaded coronavirus.

He advised all passengers using public and commercial transports in the country, to stop engaging in political arguments, saying all are measures being adopted to control the spread of the virus.

Mr Kuma argued that some Ghanaians have the habit of engaging in unnecessary arguments about politics and football on commercial transports and by that means, saliva is spread from one person to another.

“My advice to passengers is that they should stop engaging in unnecessary arguments and debate when they are in commercial transport and rather have them when they go home.”

Speaking on Accra based radio station, StarrFM, Mr Kuma said GPRTU would also stop all those who mount public transport to sell local medicine.

He alleged commercial drivers have been asked to offer passengers going on short distance journeys, hand sanitisers to protect themselves, while passenger going long-distance would be provided with soap and water in addition to the hand sanitisers.

He revealed that the Union supported all the directives issued by the government and would meet tomorrow to educate their members on how to enforce the directives.

He added that after tomorrow’s meeting, GPRTU would visit the various transport unions to ensure strict enforcement of these directives.

Meanwhile, an observation made by Daily Heritage yesterday morning indicated that some commercial vehicle drivers were yet to use sanitisers and other measures.

Background

Ghana announced two suspected cases of coronavirus last Thursday, March 12, 2020 but as of yesterday, March 16, the cases had risen to six confirmed cases leading to the shutdown of basic and secondary schools as well as universities and other tertiary institutions.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, says that, even though the Coronavirus pandemic presents severe consequences for the country, it also presents Ghana with an opportunity to reduce her dependency on imports.

In a meeting with the leaders of the country’s pharmaceutical and banking industries on Monday, 16th March, 2020, at Jubilee House, the seat of the nation’s presidency, President Akufo-Addo bemoaned the overly-reliant nature of the country on foreign-made things across the board.

According him, Ghana should possess the capacity to become self-sufficient in the manufacture of items such as masks, hand sanitizers and disposable gloves – basic items needed to combat the spread of Coronavirus.

“We are not talking just pharmaceuticals. We are far too dependent on the things made abroad and imported by us for use. We should be making most of the things we make in Ghana ourselves, and I am seeing what is happening to us, in this crisis, as an opportunity. It has very big consequences, but it also an opportunity. They say necessity is the mother of invention and advisedly so,” the President said.

Whilst praying to Almighty God to shield the country from an increment in cases of infections, he noted, however, that should there be a spike in the incidents of infections, the country will be presented with a significant challenge.

With the meeting having in attendance bankers, pharmaceutical giants, regulators of the industry, the President was hopeful that “together, in this coalition, we can then begin to address these deficiencies in a systematic and pragmatic manner.”

He continued, “So, I called you here for all of us to put our brains and minds and hearts together to see a way forward for the future of our country. Whatever decisions are made today are not going to transform the situation today or tomorrow. But, then, we are going to be putting in the building blocks, the platform, for the transformation of tomorrow.”

To the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Ernest Addison, who was present at the meeting, the President stressed that “there is the need for us to work collectively to see how our banking sector, which, fortunately under his leadership, is becoming stronger and stronger, can find a way of channeling monies and resources to some of you here so that you can begin to do things for our health system here.”

President Akufo-Addo concluded by stating that “if we want to be a properly functioning country, we cannot continue to live of other people’s ingenuity and hard work. We have to live of our own ingenuity, creativity, and hard work. That is the only way we can build a viable nation.”

The President reiterated Government’s determination to overcoming the pandemic, and urged all and sundry to put their shoulders to the wheel to help combat the spread of the virus.

Source:classfmonline.com

Some victims’ families holding up pictures of relatives killed in the Gambia

Families of Ghanaians who were murdered in The Gambia in 2005 have filed submissions to the Gambia Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) demanding that Yahya Jammeh and the ‘Junglers’ must be brought to justice and compensation paid to the families and survivors.

In separate affidavit evidence they filed and notarized in Ghana and dispatched to the TRRC in The Gambia this week, the victims’ families recounted the torture they have been going through since they became aware of the unlawful killing and enforced disappearances of their family members in 2005.

The filing of the affidavit evidence comes after three members of the “Junglers” testified before the TRRC that they participated in the killing of the Ghanaians and other West African migrants on the orders of Yahya Jammeh.

Following the testimonies by the Junglers, the Jammeh2Justice Ghana Coalition (J2J Ghana), a CSO Coalition led by CDD-Ghana wrote to the TRRC arguing that the survivors and victims’ families qualified as victims within the meaning of the TRRC Act, 2017, and therefore, requested that the Ghanaian victims’ families and survivors be allowed to testify, to which the TRRC agreed.

Continuing, the victims’ families who were assisted to file their affidavits by J2J Ghana, said the unlawful killing of their family members who were the breadwinners had led to significant loss of income to their families since 2005, hence their request to the TRRC to recommend adequate compensation to be paid to them.

Lead Counsel for the Ghanaian victims, Nii Kwei Amasah, explained that once the TRRC sets a date for the victims to appear before the TRRC, he will lead the survivors and representatives of the victims’ families to testify before the TRRC in The Gambia.

“We commend the TRRC for the opportunity given our clients to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice and to compensate the survivors and dependents of the murdered Ghanaians in the Gambia. We will cooperate fully with the TRRC to bring a finality to this matter”, lawyer Amasah added.

J2J Ghana coordinator, William Nyarko said the submission of the affidavit evidence to the TRRC is an important step towards ensuring the participation of the survivors and victims’ families in the proceedings of the ongoing TRRC with the ultimate purpose of securing justice, reparations, and bringing closure to the victims.

Programme Officer of J2J Ghana, Regina Oforiwaa Amanfo, explained that the affidavit evidence of seventeen (17) out of the approximately 53 Ghanaian victims were sent to the TRRC.

She said J2J Ghana explained in a cover letter to the TRRC it is still locating and contacting victims and would send more of the affidavit evidence as they are filed.

“We have scheduled 31st March, 2020 as the closing date for receipt of the affidavit evidence for dispatch to the TRRC; however, victims can also file and send their affidavit evidence directly to the TRRC”, she added.

John Dramani Mahama, former President of Ghana

The flagbearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has called on the Akufo-Addo-led government to publish its plans to protect the economy including a possibility of a statement to parliament of the expected impact of the coronavirus on the Ghanaian economy.

According to Mahama, although the NDC will support the government’s effort outlined to help deal with the spread of the disease, the government must tell Ghanaians the economic impact it will have on the citizenry.

In a Facebook Live video, Mahama said “This is not the time for words it is a time for action. What the government did not address is the wide-reaching economic impact of the pandemic. We’ve seen governments around the world make bold moves to protect their economies and we should expect the government of Ghana to respond rapidly to this challenge.

“I, therefore, call on government to publish its plans to protect the economy including a possibility of a statement to parliament of the expected impact on our economy and the disruptions of Covid-19 on global supply chains and international travels.”

Mahama also suggested that a comprehensive budget review to parliament maybe necessary subsequently.

The coronavirus, Mahama noted, is not only an Accra or Tema problem and, therefore, made a further call on the government to ensure the provision of isolated centres in all the regions of the country.

Ghana has recorded six cases of the Coronavirus

A suspected case of Covid-19 has been recorded at the Akawey government hospital annex in the Weija Gbawe Municipality.

Health officials say the individual a 38 year old Ghanaian national returned from the United Kingdom on March 6, 2020, with symptoms similar to coronavirus patient.

Speaking to Kingdom News in an interview Dr. Cynthia Lamptey Deputy Director of nursing services for the hospital indicated that the patient has been quarantined and will be transferred to a bigger facility for further test.

She disclosed this to the media when the NDC parliamentary candidate for Weija Gbawe constituency donated hand sanitizers, detours, tissues, and other antiseptics to the hospital today.

Moreover, the NDC parliamentary candidate for Weija Gbawe constituency Hon Nii Ayaa Ayison explained his motive behind the donation.

He has used the opportunity to sensitize the general public to be extra careful and put proper measures in place to prevent the coronavirus.