As the World Health Organisation has signaled African countries to prepare for the worst in the face of coronavirus and the increasing cases of the pandemic in Ghana, Religious leaders of Ghana both Christian and Muslims joined the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to pray for the nation against the deadly pandemic Coronavirus.
The President in the bid to prevent the spread of the virus invited all the Religious leaders for a breakfast prayer meeting on March 19 with the hope that the country will be healed from the deadly disease through prayer.
Similarly, a Muslim Breakfast Meeting was also held at the Jubilee House in Accra on Friday, March 20 2020 also in the bid to pray for the country against the spread of COVID-19.
At the Breakfast Prayer meeting on March 19, President Akufo-Addo said “Coronavirus cases in Ghana have hit nine(Now 11) and we also learned, sadly on Wednesday, March 18, that three Ghanaians living abroad had lost their lives as a result,” the President said at the Breakfast Prayer Meeting, adding that “with 9 confirmed cases of infections, we might as well count ourselves lucky as one of the countries least hit by the Coronavirus,” the President disclosed Thursday, March 19, 2020 at the prayer meeting at the Jubilee House, the seat of the Presidency in Accra.
The one-hour morning Prayer Meeting televised on national Televisions was attended by Religious Leaders of the Christian Council of Ghana, Pentecostal and Charismatic Council, and the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference and Office of the Chief Imam.
The Religious Leaders individually offered prayers for various intentions including for the country as cases for the novel coronavirus increases to nine, the government, affected victims, the republic, health personnel, travellers and Ghanaians in general.
As of Friday, March 20, Ghana had confirmed 16 cases. Health services are still managing all suspected and confirmed cases.
Addressing the clergy before the start of the prayers, Ghana’s President Akufo-Addo said: “These are not ordinary times and at such times in a country whose population is predominantly Christian, we must seek the face of the one true God for healing and restoration”.
The President of Ghana told the Religious Leaders: “So, I have called you to this prayer meeting for us to join together and pray to the Almighty God to protect our nation, heal this land and save us from this pandemic. In doing so, we are also putting into practice the hope of the words in the holy scriptures in James 5:14 and 15 and I quote ‘Is anyone among you sing let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil and a prayer offered in faith will raise him up.”
He added that: “I am confident that this morning’s (March 19) prayer which will be offered in faith will help heal our nation and will help raise Ghana up and I believe profoundly that we the Ghanaian people, with our faith in the Almighty will overcome this challenge. This too will pass.”
Washing hands before ablution
Meanwhile, the Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia during the Muslim Breakfast Prayer urged Muslims across the country to wash their hands with soap under running water before ablution in the midst of the outbreak of COVID-19.
Dr. Bawumia reiterated the essence of hand-washing with soap under running water, saying that “It is important for all Muslims to thoroughly wash our hands with soap under running water, to make sure our hands are clean before we start ablution. As the government continues to take bold steps to curb the spread and citizens are encouraged strictly to observe these measures to protect us from contracting and further spreading the virus, Isha Allah, I’ll urge our eminent Imams to continue to pray for our dear nation Ghana and the world.”
WHO Caution to Africans
In the face of the pandemic, the World Health Organization’s Director-General on Wednesday, March 18 asked African countries to “prepare for the worst” as the coronavirus begins to spread locally, while South Africa became the continent’s new focus of concern as cases nearly doubled to 116 from two days before.
]Though the pandemic is in its early days on the continent, health experts have warned that even facilities in Africa’s richest nation could be overwhelmed by the virus’ spread. “I think Africa should wake up. My continent should wake up,” said WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who comes from Ethiopia.
