A deputy Greater Accra Regional Youth Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress, Amos Blessing Amorse, has charged President Akufo-Addo to order for closure of the Jubilee House as part of measures to halt the spread of COVID-19.

According to Mr Amorse, the number of “people who troop the Jubilee House in a day exposes the President, workers and the country to danger, and if that place is not shut down immediately, we may have a disaster at hand.”

“Even Parliament, the courts, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the various Metropolitan, Municipal and Districts Assemblies must consider shutting down for some weeks while government works to halt the spread of the virus,” he stated.

In a Facebook post on his wall, the NDC Youth Organizer argued that “if the President says private funerals with a maximum of 25 people could hold, then the number of people who requires services at the Jubilee House even at the main reception at a go are sometimes more than 25 so same could be classified as public gathering.”

“I’m convinced that the only preventive measure at the Jubilee House is hand sanitizer and what makes it very dangerous is the government’s own account that all cases recorded so far are imported. Day in day out, foreign nationals go to the Jubilee House either to attend meetings or transact other businesses and if what we’ve been told is anything to go by, then the President must act fast,” Mr Amorse explained.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has ordered the closure of all schools and universities in Ghana as his administration moves to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, health authorities announced that six cases of the disease have been recorded in the country within a period of less than 48 hours.

On Sunday evening, in a televised address the President ordered the closure of all educational institutions with effect from Monday, March 16, 2020.

“All universities, Senior High Schools and Basic Schools, i.e. public and private, will be closed from Monday, March 16 until further notice,” the President said.

Though some have applauded the President for taking such a bold step, the NDC Deputy Regional Youth Organizer says closing down schools and banning public gatherings are not enough.

“In the wake of the spread of the disease, any reasonable person will do what the President did yesterday. In fact, some countries announced the closure of schools and banned public gatherings when they’ve not even recorded any case. But the point is that you cannot order for these things to be done and you open the gate of the seat of government wild for potential carriers of the virus to enter. What proper measures do we have there to screen persons who enter the place?” Mr Amorse quizzed.

He explained that “shutting down the Jubilee House does not mean the work of government will not go on. Most of the things done at the Jubilee House, Ministries, Department and Agencies could be done from home. Meetings could be held via Skype, WhatsApp video calls etc. We need to be proactive not to put the lives of Ghanaians in danger.”