As nations all over the world battle with Covid-19 in the face many grim challenges, it has become fundamental for all available resources to be marshalled in order to contain this dreaded pandemic.

Here in Ghana, the central government declared to absorb water bills of all citizens from the months of April to June to ameliorate the economic impact of the pandemic and subsequently aid the fight against Covid-19. However, the population directly connected to Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) is small compared to the population without direct connection. In order to help bring the president’s directive to fruition, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has once again shown the world why they are regarded as one the best and diligent forces in Africa and the world by distributing water to deprived communities, as water remains a central weapon in the fight against Covid-19.

Water for Rural Africa (WRA) wishes to commend the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) for the show of leadership in the distribution of free potable water to some targeted communities in Greater Accra, as part of its efforts to combat Covid-19. The free water supply which started on Tuesday in two deprived communities of Mangdjaanor and Kaadjaanora all within the La Dade Kotopon Municipality in the Greater Accra Region, was about 14,000 litres of water supplied to inhabitants numbering about 7,000. Brigadier-General Michael Amoah Ayisi, the Chief Staff Officer (CSO) of the Ghana Armed Forces further promised not to only sustain the supply of water to these communities, but also extend the service to other deprived communities.

The Ghana Armed Forces’ show of excellent leadership is a long standing history that has stood the test of decades and the current crop of leadership is keeping the torch aflame. GAF is on record to be one of the first countries to answer the call of the United Nations for troops to be dispatched to the Congo. The story of Ghanaian peacekeeping went on to yield remarkable examples of what is believed to the most successful combination of qualities, loyalty matched by initiative and courage coupled with humility. The GAF is decorated with lots of laurels and recognition from UN and the world.

WRA wishes to use the opportunity to call on other security agencies to emulate GAF by coming up with initiatives beside their core mandates to support the fight. We humbly call on the Ghana Fire Service (GFS) to make use of their water tankers to equally support deprived communities with water in their respective catchment areas.