Covid-19 HAS EXPOSED US ALL

OPINION FEATURE

By: Albert Banafo Jnr

This virus, Covid-19 pandemic means many things to many people.
When the first case of this pandemic was recorded in the country, Ghanaians were looking up to see what measures the government of the day was going to put in place in curb this looming menace.

Instead, the government, expressed reluctance in closing our national borders. In this both the government and the ordinary Ghanaian has been exposed. World Health Organization(W.H.O) and other health officials around and globe advised people to employ the use of hand sanitizers, washing of hands with soap under running water and other preventive measures to reduce the risk of contracting this deadly virus.

Hand sanitizers which were being sold for as low as Gh¢3.00 suddenly rose  and reached prices as high as Gh¢7 on the Ghanaian market. The virus had prompted a great increase in demand of it in the world with our dear country, Ghana, being no exception.

To me, being straight from the shoulder, this should have been the time when prices of hand sanitizers should have fallen to attract more patronage in line with the normal laws of demand.

However,the ordinary Ghanaian market women and men who always blame government officials for being greedy, selfish and corrupt, in two shakes of a lamb’s tail, increased the prices of hand sanitizers at Gh¢3 to Gh¢7 steeply to prices ranging around Gh¢12 and as high as Gh¢50!

Such an abject and pathetic attitude! How and why should we be raining insults on politicians for being greedy when deep within us our hearts and mind most of us are no different? In making no bones about this, generally and tactfully, the prices of sanitizers should have even being reduced from the initial prices i.e (Gh¢3-Gh¢7) to a lower price so that the average income Ghanaian earner could and would be able to purchase it to protect him or herself against this disease.

How could anyone seek to make substantial profit in the wake of such a deadly disease? Must we always take advantage of others situations?

If by the Grace of God this pandemic ends (which I’m sure it will soon), most Ghanaians should bow their heads in shame as they in now way fit to criticize politicians As being greedy, selfish and corrupt because deep within, these negative attitudes abounds in us.

“He who calls for equity, must come with a clean hand”.

On the governmental side, it’s a shame that after 60+ years of independence, we have Ghanaians who do not have potable water in their homes!

In a country,where every MP, minister or state officials goes around in V8’s, this is a shame of epic proportions! For crying out loud, in gaining independence the idea of drinking dirtied brownish water in which humans and cattle bathe and urinates, was not a part of our aspiration when we sought for self government.

The growing pace at which most people in out country continue being infected and testing positive for this virus necessitates a need to have more health infrastructures be used as isolation centres for those who have tested positive.

It’s obvious that we have some proper health facilities in the country put up by the previous administration which are currently being used to treat these affected citizens of our dear country, Ghana. But these existing facilities are not enough as the number of cases keep on rising each day and need it be, even schools and churches should be considered as potential isolation centers.

Unfortunately, instead of the present government completing the uncompleted projects left by his predecessors, the government has turned a blind eye to them for more than 3 years now.

On the spur of the moment, during the President’s 8th address to the nation on this pandemic he made mention of plans to build 88 NEW hospitals in the country, when we already have projects with almost 80% completion rate inherited from the previous administration, yet is still ignored. Hmmmm!

The question still remains unanswered, from which budget will these 88 new hospitals be funded from?

Covid-19 has really taught us a lot and showed that we still have a lot to learn still. Indeed this virus has really exposed us ALL!

By: Albert Banafo Jnr

No: 0559890906