The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) and Occupy Ghana are demanding an in-depth investigation and sanctions to be meted out to individuals including government officials for disobeying Covid 19 restrictions at the funeral of former Forestry Commission boss, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie aka Sir John.
The Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party was laid to rest on June 3 at Sakora-Wonoo, a farming community near Bonwire in the Kwabre East District in the Ashanti Region.
Pictures of great number of mourners at the funeral without regard for Covid 19 protocols circulating on social media got many criticizing politicians who thronged the town to mourn the passing of the late Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.
Reacting to the disregard to Covid 19 restrictions at the funeral, the Ghana Medical Association and OccupyGhana have issued a release condemning the unfortunate mass gathering by officials.
The two groups have called for extensive investigation, demanding that the law enforcement agencies investigate and deal with the organisers of the funeral of former Forestry Commission boss.
“The GMA condemns such activities that violate our protocols and has the tendency to reverse all the gains made in the fight against Covid-19,” Dr Ankobea said in the statement.
“This behaviour of people in a position to know better is deeply worrying, and while we can only pray that it doesn’t happen, if in weeks this event turns out to be a super spreader event with more deaths and hospitalisations, government will have no one but itself to blame for its inability and unwillingness to show a better example.” OccupyGhana
Read GMA’s statement below.
“This mass gathering of people with complete disregard for physical distancing and limited use of face masks occurred in the wake of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to some Africa countries to prepares for the what appears to be a new surge in Covid-19 cases in Africa.
“The GMA was, therefore, shocked to observe that a nation like ours struggling to vaccinate its population will permit such a potential super spreader event to take place and be attended by top government functionaries including the President and his Vice President,” it said.
The Association further reminded the country of the memories of the catastrophic consequences of the surge in Covid-19 cases in January to February this year in which many people lost their lives, and put the country’s health system under a lot of pressure.
“We should not forget that the surge was occasioned by similar mass gathering associated with the political activities and Christmas festivities in November and December 2020.
“The GMA condemns such activities that violate our protocols and has the tendency to reverse all the gains made in the fight against Covid-19,” Dr Ankobea said in the statement.
The Association encouraged the general public to continue to abide by all the Covid-19 protocols and refrain from such mass gathering and activities that endangers the country’s collective survival.
“The GMA wishes to reiterate that Covid-19 is still real and a present threat to our country and calls on all to adhere to the preventive protocols for the safety of all.”
Below is the statement from Occupy Ghana
OCCUPYGHANA®️ DEPLORES WANTON DISREGARD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, ENABLING ANOTHER POTENTIAL SUPER SPREADER EVENT
OccupyGhana®️ has watched with consternation news reports, videos and photographs of the funeral and burial of New Patriotic Party politician and former Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission of Ghana, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, which event packed thousands of politicians, well-wishers and mourners into a park, with minimal mask-wearing, absolutely no social distancing and a wanton disregard for the funeral restrictions imposed by the government. We do not think that what happened did justice to the memory of a man who was reputed to be a man of discipline.
In our press release of 2 May 2021 regarding the holding of the Christ Embassy religious event at the Fantasy Dome, we thought no reminders were needed that the dangerous and deadly COVID-19 was still present and active among us. In that release, we hailed the government’s imposition of protocols by law, which we believe demand compliance, by all.
To wake up to contrary behaviour by prominent members of the same government and other politicians, after we have seen the colossal human disaster that has unfolded in India, caused by unrestrained political activities and religious events that did not respect COVID-19 protocols, is both disappointing and frightening.
We cannot show such a remarkable sense of recklessness and abandon in these times and not expect to reap disastrous and possibly deadly consequences. We need no reminders that by exercising bad judgment in releasing Aisha Huang, government created a defiant galamsey population on its hands and more destruction of our water bodies and forests ensued until it had to resort to the illegal and populist remedy of burning excavators to try and stem the tide of evil genie unleashed with the release of Aisha Huang. Similarly, this disregard of the law will embolden several people to treat COVID-19 protocols with disdain and contempt.
We saw and read about the police charging the people who organised the Christ Embassy event with offences under the Imposition of Restrictions Act. We have seen the Police resort to court injunctions and threats of force to stop the planned #fixGhana protests and demonstrations, with the weak excuse that they will defy the same Act. We hasten to ask whether the government has any moral authority now where these matters are concerned?
While extending to Sir John and his family all the deserving courtesies, respect and condolences, the irony is not lost on us that due to COVID-19, a British Royal and Duke had only 30 people in attendance at his funeral. The whole world witnessed it, and we thought much lessons could have been gleaned from that utterly humane event around a person of global stature.
This behaviour of people in a position to know better is deeply worrying, and while we can only pray that it doesn’t happen, if in weeks this event turns out to be a super spreader event with more deaths and hospitalisations, government will have no one but itself to blame for its inability and unwillingness to show a better example.
We repeat our oft-repeated call on all Ghanaians to keep respecting the COVID-19 protocols in all situations. We must protect ourselves and our loved ones, even when people who should know better break the law while enforcing it against others.
Yours, for God and Country
OccupyGhana®️
