A Ghanaian Priest, who is a student in Rome but currently undertaking partial pastoral work in the Republic of Ireland to support his Doctoral research in Social Communications, has described the radical measures put in place and subsequent renewals by Ghana’s President, Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo as apt and appropriate.
“I believe if most countries had taken some of these radical measures from day-one, daily recording of new cases or deaths would be minimized if not totally eradicated,” Fr. Michael Yaw Darko, student of the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University in Rome said in a write-up to newswatchgh.com on March 26, 2020, from Ireland.
He said the spread of the virus was very terrible because “it starts like harmattan fire which not quench at the initial stage develops to an uncontrollable state, making reference to Ireland with a population of 4 Million, “where I am confined in my room at the moment.”
According to him, in an address to the people of Ireland on March 17, 2020, the Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said that “Ireland is estimated to have 15,000 or more confirmed cases of coronavirus by the end of March, a figure which is expected to rise in the weeks thereafter”.
In view of that, Fr. Darko from the Wiawso Diocese in the Western North Region of Ghana, advised Ghanaians to see the good in the efforts and measures being taken by the president of the West African country.
“Politicians across the political divide, Chiefs, Religious Leaders, Civil Society Organizations, the media and the general public must ceasefire with their known attitude of politicizing every national issue just for cheap popularity or fruitless gains,” he said.
“It is now time to burry our national, cultural, tribal, and religious differences by demonstrating our true patriotism as we mobilize every human effort and resource to protect many innocent vulnerable Ghanaians, he stated, adding that “people’s lives are at stake and if indeed you a true religious, traditional, and political leader or Ghanaian, then this is the time to declare and demonstrate your patriotism once again.”
He entreated Ghanaians to treat the directives already given by the president with cautiousness, advising that “nobody should dare make an attempt to flout the president’s directives since Satan always finds work for idle hands.”
With the closed down of schools, and parents and guardians having now more mouths to feed at home, according to Fr. Darko, “there is likelihood that there will be scarcity and price increment of basic goods and commodities,” reminding the citizens that “national emergencies like the coronavirus will definitely effect fertile grounds for people to hoard basic goods and later sell them at exorbitant prices.”
Citing an example, he said when schools closed down in Ireland on March 11, 2020, many people rushed to the supermarkets to buy more grocery goods than one needed for the time being all because of the unknown extinction and the extent of the coronavirus.,” indicating that at other places outside Ireland some people could not even get toiletries and where they could find one in a shop, people had to queue for several hours.
According to him, others in Italy for instance, need a permit before they can go out to a grocery shop or a pharmaceutical shop to buy something and furtherance to that he appealed to those controlling the market forces in Ghana to be compassionate with those who do have the means to undergo bulk-buying against any scarcity.
“What do you gain if you use the global pandemic to exploit the poor and the vulnerable? Are you outside the bracket of those infected or can be infected? God is watching all of us and as the Ghanaian musician K. K. Kabobo once said “ONYAME Ehu Wo” (literary meaning God has seen you), he stated.
As a Doctoral Student in Social Communications, he touched on the role of the media in the wake of the COVID-19 and reminded practitioners of their core duties to the nation by always being guided by the code of ethics of the noble profession.
He noted that “You may be a ‘spin-doctor journalist’ of a particular political or an organization but always remember that Ghana first before your affiliated institution.”
“We must remember that all people do not have the emotional control to digest and understand some of the information we put out there,” he opined.
He encouraged journalists to adhere to what the Ghana Journalists Association President, Dr. Affail Monney, recently said: “We dare not misbehave as journalists in the discharge of our duties or face the wrath of God. If we ‘talk by heart’ on television, radio or any media platform and abuse freedom of speech, God will not bless us with Grace”.
In that direction, he again appealed to media personnel especially presenters, newscasters, freelance journalists, social commentators, political party communication directors, ‘citizen journalists’, to be extremely cautious of what they alter or write be it in audio, audio-visual or textual form and reminded them that that they are to inform, educate, and entertain the populace.
He congratulated and encouraged Ghanaians at the frontline of the fight against the pandemic especially the medical doctors, nurses and security personnel at the various entry points.
“They are doing a fantastic job and this is the time we need to show them love and appreciation and not behave like the proverbial attitude of the tongue always behaving to have never eaten meat before, he pointed out.
As a nation, he stated that “we need to encourage many selfless Ghanaians philanthropists be it individuals, Churches or organizations for their continuous support since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Ghana.”
Notwithstanding the fear and panic as a result of the COVID-19, he said “God does not abandon his children even in difficult moments like ours,” noting that “We are motivated by the word of God each day.”
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Source: Newswatchgh.com // Editorial Team
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