The Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Cynthia Mamle Morrison has disclosed that neither did the ministry nor parliamentarians distribute food along party lines during the lockdown period.

According to her, the conscience and fear of members in the various opposition parties prevented them from taking food from some parliamentarians and not what has become a popular misconception in the country.

She made this revelation in an interview on Happy 98.9 FM earlier today.

“I don’t believe anyone shared food along party lines during the lockdown. But if someone did, then it is a shameful act.”

She reiterated that the distribution of food was not discriminatory in any way but was rather provided for the vulnerable in society.

The minister explained that, some parliamentarians started sharing food to their constituents even before the government started its relief programme. And that is why some Ghanaians started getting the misconception that food was shared along party lines.

“ With parliamentarians doing this, individuals, especially loud ones of the opposition could never go for food from the other party because they felt they will be betraying their own that was what was happening. Some others also out rightly refused the food if they saw it was from a member of a party they didn’t belong to.”

“I won’t plead with people to come for food. It is their choice. If you want it, fine; but if you don’t, I will not force it on you.”

Citing an example of political fear she witnessed herself, she disclosed that during a free face mask exercise she organized a few days ago, a woman whom she later learnt was a well know member of the NDC returned the mask she gave her. On the minister’s account, the woman returned it because of what she feared some members of her own party would do to her. “I had to give it to her where no one saw us.”

She encouraged Ghanaians to live devoid of party lines and advised that it is only through unity that “we can fight COVID-19.”