President Akufo-Addo and Ya Naa
The King of Dagbon, Ndan Ya Naa Abukari II, has commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the measures he has put in place to protect Ghanaians from the coronavirus pandemic.
The President has placed a ban on all public gatherings, including conferences, workshops, funerals, festivals, political rallies church activities and related events.
The President has also ordered the closure of all educational institutions until further notice.
Proactive leadership
The Dagbon overlord has described the action of the President as proactive.
In a release issued by the Gbewaa Palace, the Dagbon King stated that the President is demonstrating good leadership during “these trying times of global pandemic.”
He added: “The strengthening of health communication and information systems and the contribution of the nation’s media, led by a strong political will, have all helped to realize the national objective of an informed population.”
“Ndan Ya Naa wants to use this occasion to appeal to all in the Northern Region and in Ghana as a whole to support the national process of controlling the COVID-19 infection rate. The responsibility of ensuring a controlled COVID-19 infection rate is the duty of all Ghanaians and people living in the country. While social media has lots of information, Ghanaians should seek information on COVID-19 from authorized and trusted sources only,” the statement advised.
Ban
In support of the President directives, the Dagbon overlord, in consultation with his council of elders and Chief Imams, has also placed a ban on all public gatherings, including Friday’s prayers, and funeral performance in Dagbon Traditional Area.
According to the Dagbon King, “the experience of South Korea where a religious congregational activity was key factor in the Asian country’s loss of control of the COVID-19 infection rates should be instructive to us. This is not the time to invoke constitutional rights as we are not in normal times.”
Meanwhile, the overlord of Mamprugu Traditional Area, Naa Sheriga II, has ordered the security agencies in the area to deal with anyone who flouts the directives of the President on public gathering and social distancing.
Also, in a related development, Muslims leaders in the Northern Region have suspended daily and Friday congregational prayers as part of measures to deal with the pandemic.
The resolution was reached at the Tamale Central Mosque, Wednesday, with representatives of all Islamic sects in the region.
