In the mist of the deadly corona virus which the WHO has declared as a worldwide pandemic, Takoradi based radio personality, Barak Mintah has penned down his sentiments and suggestion which we think are very vital for his role as a ‘citizen not a spectator’.
Dear Mr. President,
I hope you find this letter worth reading. First of all, let me congratulate you and your government for all the great innovations and initiatives you have rolled out including the free SHS, 1D1F, 1 constituency, 1 ambulance, etc. These, I think are good steps in the right direction and could be improved upon.
Mr. President, let me not sway from the motive behind this letter. Isn’t it quite fascinating as to why the world, especially the western world keeps poking it nose into the affairs of Africa? Perhaps my next letter to you will talk about that but for now, let’s talk about “the world’s new found satan” coronavirus. Why is the western world shocked at the numbers being reported here? Anyways, this is a pandemic, sweeping away lives like it own the keys to death.
The Europeans we look up to as a matter of fact are sadly dying like how our roads are killing our people back home here in Ghana. I thought of putting out the statistics for people who have lost their lives due to this virus and I remembered I only have 5mb left so if i should try surfing the internet concerning any research, AirtelTigo will find a very beautiful way of ending my over 6 days carefully thought letter to you. So please Mr. President, let your research team help you out with the sad numbers just Incase you have no idea. But I am of the strongest conviction that you do know the number of lives lost.
Mr. President, I am writing you this letter because I love my country and wouldn’t want to see your generation, my generation and that of your grandchildren and my children’s generation all wiped away by a certain virus which we could have easily or in proactive ways curbed. There’s a confirmation by the ministry of health and the information ministry that the country has recorded it first 2 cases of this fast spreading virus. Mr. President, I, as a matter of fact haven’t had a good night sleep since this confirmation was made because the mere thought of the whole thing sends shivers down my spine and I constantly miss a heartbeat. I know you won’t give me money to the hospital though??? but that alone explains how scared I am for my life and that of the country because Ghana is indeed a place to be.
Our sense of humor is on another level, a level which makes us seem not to ask legit questions and reason logically. Mr. President, need I congratulate you for the allocation of the $100m to help fight this pandemic? Yes! I ought to. But I would humbly want to ask where we got that money from, which specific ministry has the money and how the disbursement process went?
Mr. President, why are we not seeing or hearing any official advertisements from the government, educating the citizens on what to do and how to go about our lives without contracting the virus on both traditional and social media? Oh! Perhaps, you are relying on the media to do the job for you. I thought they run their businesses with funds, Or i am mistaken?
Mr. President, during the press briefing made by the 2 ministries, specifically the ministry of health and the information ministry, they outlined certain measures one can do to avoid contracting the virus. The release asked us to wash our hands under clean running water with soap, use 70% made alcohol hand sanitizer, avoid hand shaking, etc.
But Mr. President, how does the 2 ministries expect us to wash our hands under clean running water with soap when our taps are dry? How will my family in the village wash their hands under clean running water with soap when they are unhappily gulping down brown, galamseied waters made by the illegal miners? How do they wash their hands under clean running water with soap when they are battling out with livestock to get gutterlized liquid as water?
How do they get access to hand sanitizers even after washing their hands with the brown, dirty water and soap? Do they even know what hand sanitizers are? Well, I can’t tell!
I ask this, how will an ambulance get to my village with those terrible roads in no time? What’s the assurance that the ambulance will even go and pick the suspected person up to the hospital? Mr. President, the release also gave out some numbers we should call just incase we suspect anyone of showing signs and symptoms, do you know as at Friday, when 4 of the numbers were called, nobody answered the ringing phone? I guess you are aware?
What’s the assurance our “beautiful” doctors and nurses at the hospitals wouldn’t stigmatize against patients who report to them with coronalike symptoms ? Even when the virus was wrecking thousands out there in other countries, what were you and the government doing?
You travelled out and when you returned, as any leader will lead by example, did you do a self quarantine so we also follow suit?
Before the two cases were recorded and confirmed, what were we doing at our airport and borders? Did the 2 people confirmed to have had the the virus enter, mingle and do all sort of things, got sick before their conditions were discovered?
One of the two entered the country on the 29th of February, 2020. When did we realise he has the virus? Can I safely assume there are scores of people walking around, carrying the virus but are unaware?
Another one Mr. President is this, Why is it that when you just announced there has been an allocation of a $100m, the first case was announced 24hrs later?
Did you know about the case and wanted to play smart by announcing the allocation of the money before the case leaked?
Is there a conspiracy going on? Mr. President, our borders are one of the weakest in the world and very porous. The illegal entry points dey333 we won’t mention it. Is it safe to propose a lockdown? After all, it’s Ghanaian lives first!
Back to my people at the village, how will an ambulance cross our waters using the ferry, to pick up suspected persons when the ferry itself decides on when to work?
Or we will use the drone? Better still, the cathedral will be of a big help because it will wash away our sins and the virus as well.
Mr. President, isn’t it safe to put the details of the alleged affected persons out there, the flight they were onboard, and the other passengers who were on the flight with the affected persons, have we found out who they are, where they live, I mean have we made efforts to find and quarantine them?
Mr. President, have we resourced Noguchi Research and Memorial Institute enough? The health minister says he will not disclose the 100 bed quarantine facility we have to deal with positive cases. Does it make any sense?
I might be running out of questions but I hope this letter drives your attention to areas I didn’t look at so you tackle them effectively and efficiently. We love our country, protect it even if you can’t take us to the gloryland.
Look at Rwanda, wash hand basins with flowing water have been provided at bus terminals. Is this beyond us?
And oh! Mr. President, my birthday is on the 20th of March. Will you send me a birthday present??
From a citizen and not a spectator!
Barak Mintah Brown,
Sekondi-Takoradi.
God bless our homeland Ghana ??
