General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia has called for the immediate closure of Parliament following the outbreak of COVID-19 in the Legislature.

According to him, it is important that the House is closed down just as has been done to institutions and facilities that have recorded cases to ensure that the disease does not spread.

Speaking at the 41st-anniversary commemoration of the June 4 Uprising in Accra on Thursday, the NDC Chief Scribe stated that Parliament must at all times show the public that it is a respecter of the laws it has enacted and passed.

“We are in a country where the lawmakers will make laws and think that the laws are not applicable, which is dangerous for our democracy. COVID-19 has come, Parliament has empowered the President of the Republic to take all emergency measures to deal with COVID-19 and some of these measures led to a total lockdown of the whole Accra city and Kumasi. With some of these measures, when a positive case is detected in any institution that institution is completely closed down to prevent a situation where the disease will spread. So you close down the institution, isolate those affected, and take measures to sanitize the workplace to ensure that we can contain the disease. What are we seeing now? The Tema Fish processing factory when positive cases were recorded they closed down the factory. The wards of several hospitals in the country where positive cases were detected among frontline staff they had to close down certain wards.

Asiedu Nketia added: “Now we are told that 13 cases have been recorded in Parliament and Parliament is still sitting. What are they telling us, why is Parliament not closing down? Is Parliament above the laws they themselves make? is that the democracy we are making for ourselves? Everybody has a responsibility to protect this democracy and the only way we can do it is that we must insist on the rule of law.”

Meanwhile, the Majority leadership of Parliament has categorically and emphatically stated that the legislature will not shutdown following recorded cases of Covid-19.

According to Deputy Majority Whip Matthew Nyindam, it’s not out of place for a few MPs to test positive for Covid-19.

The Kpandai MP, however, assured that all safety protocols are being adhered to for the protection of members.

“We must observe the protocols and when we all observe the protocols we will defeat COVID-19. Today there are nations that are voting, America will go for election in November, COVID-19 is still there, Ghana will go for election December, COVID-19 is still there so let’s all see COVID-19 as part of us…we all must adopt a very positive lifestyle.”