General News of Thursday, 20 February 2020

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Students in Wuhan will be evacuated when the need arises - Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has assured that Ghanaian students in Wuhan will be evacuated to Ghana when the need arises.

According to Akufo-Addo, government has been in touch with public health experts who have advised that the students should be confined in the area of its origin.

He, however, urged parliamentarians not to politicize the plight of China as it is a delicate issue that does not benefit anyone.

He added that government with the support of Chinese authority have been in touch with Ghanaians in China to ensure that enough food and logistics are provided for these students.

“…Today China is, unfortunately, battling an outbreak corvid 19 virus we sympathize with the people of China in this time of great trouble I have written to the president of China to convey our solidarity and sympathy to the people of China, we trust that with the cap decision been implemented to concave the spread of the virus this nightmare will be over soon and will recover from this devastating social and economic impact there is a sizable community of Ghanaians in China and our government through our embassies have been working with the Chinese authorities to find the best way to deal with the situation the Ghanaian community includes 4760 students out of which 300 students are studying in Mumbai providence and 200 in Wuhan the epic centre of the outbreak. We have a delegate issue and it does not benefit anybody to try to score point by introducing ill-judge politics into this ongoing medical conundrum and humanitarian tragedy."

“…Most of these students are on Chinese government scholarships and since the crisis started the Chinese government has done its part to keep them supplied with food and other logistics. The Ghana government through its mission have also supplied logistics to its embassies.

“The government is in contact touch with experts on the subject who advised that the basic principle of public health is to confine the disease to the area of its origin but we have not ruled out the option of evacuating the students from Wuhan if that becomes necessary. We are putting in place measures of evacuating them back into Ghana if it happens doesn’t lead to the dissemination of fear and panic amongst the general public” He added.

This year’s State of the Nation Address is Akufo-Addo’s fourth and last in his first term as president of the republic.

His address is in accordance with Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana and the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana.

The address is to update Ghanaians on the government’s progress and outline plans for the next financial year.

The president’s speech covers, in broad terms, areas such as the economy, education, health, security and infrastructure.