Akufo-Addo’s failure to contain coronavirus reason for mass gatherings at campaign grounds

Akufo-Addo’s failure to contain coronavirus reason for mass gatherings at campaign grounds – Mahama

Flagbearer for the National Democratic Congress, John Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has said the thousands of Ghanaians that gather to meet politicians on campaign grounds despite Covid-19 is a testament of how poor the Akufo-Addo government has failed in its effort to contain the deadly virus.

Despite the fall in active cases, Mr Mahama said most Ghanaians do not believe the disease is real due to the poor education done by the government.

He said he suggested to President Akufo-Addo to involve the assemblymen in the COVID-19 education to enable it trigger down to the people but the President did not heed his advice.

Speaking to Benjamin Akakpo on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Class91.3FM on Monday, 14 September 2020, Mr Mahama said: “Covid has changed the mood of campaigning. You meet chiefs and people, you cannot shake hands, you cannot show affection. You need to social distance, it’s a very strange campaign season but you have to learn to adapt to it.

“For instance, because of the law, we cannot hold mass rallies where you aggregate thousands of people, not that it won’t happen because sometimes you don’t have control over it. You are coming to a community and they know you’re coming and they come out in their huge numbers and it is a reflection that we have actually failed in our effort to contain Covid because the public education is poor.

“If you go out there, people don’t know how it is transmitted, they feel they are even immune to the sickness.

If you go into the community they come out with no mask and people are bundled together, shouting, no social distancing.”

Asked who is to be blamed for the apparent inadequate education on Covid-19, Mr Mahama said: “Certainly the president is the leader he must provide leadership on it. When Covid was raging, I suggested to him that he should involve the chiefs and assembly members in the public awareness and public education but he didn’t do that and so the public education has been poor and so people are not even aware about the modes of transmission and even if they are aware they don’t believe they can be affected with Covid."