Opinions of Thursday, 26 March 2020

Columnist: Adjetey Sowah

Adjetey Sowah writes: Order from above

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"Deputy Attorney-General Godfred Dame’s statement of the government’s defense said the NIA had instituted strict hygienic measures meant to ensure that the exercise does not become an infection ground for the deadly covid-19.

He accused the plaintiffs -Emmanuel Akumatey and Kevor Mark-Oliver- of a “deliberate misconstruction” of the president’s directive, banning public gatherings in the wake of the infections. The deputy A-G said the president’s directives, issued March 15, 2020, excluded certain classes of businesses and other workplaces.

He prayed the court to dismiss the injunction application, describing it as “grossly unmeritorious and unwarranted.”

The Attorney-General also asked the court for an early hearing because the NIA exercise is an urgent national objective. The court is expected to hear the case in two weeks. But Godfred Dame wants a quick showdown on Thursday.

The question then is, why is the NIA boss- Prof. Ken Attafuah bent on continuing with the mass registration of the Ghana card in the Eastern region when the whole world is struggling with this deadly disease called COVID19? No nation has yet found a cure to this disease, not even the super powerful nation and Ken Attaffuah wants to toy with the precious lives of the people in the Eastern region.

Mr. President, please call your appointee to order before it is too late. Let him know that life is more than votes. But one thing I seek to know, where does Professor Ken Attaffuah takes orders from? And which appointing authority is seeking to please?

It will be very hypocritical and preposterous on the part of the president to have asked all churches and mosques to close down as one of the measures to curb and prevent the quick spread of the disease and yet allow the deputy Attorney General to go to court to defend NIA on behalf of the government for the court to allow NIA to continue with the registration of the Ghana card in the Eastern region.

Mr. President, with all due respect, call Professor Ken Attafuah to order, and order him to with immediate effect not to go to court to defend this case for any reason when you Mr. President have ordered that social gatherings to seize and observe social distancing.