President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has described as “extremely disturbing” the circulation of old video footage of alleged brutality by members of security agencies by some unpatriotic persons on socio media.
“I am extremely disturbed by the actions of a few, unpatriotic persons, who are deliberately passing off and circulating old videos of alleged brutality by members of the security agencies, largely of foreign origin, and presenting them as though they were new incidents by Ghanaian security personnel, which have occurred during the course of this past week,” the President Akufo-Addo stated in his fifth broadcast to the Nation on the COVID-19 outbreak.
“It is sad, it is unfortunate, and it must end. We should all be in this fight together, and there is nothing to be gained with widespread fabrication and distribution of such videos, whose sole aim is to create discontent, and undermine the trust of the population in the men and women of our security services,” he said.
“Who gains from such conduct? Nobody in their right senses! The law enforcement agencies are determined to locate the originators of these anti-social acts.”
The President noted that reports he had received so far indicated that the police, military and other members of national security services had discharged their mandate with considerable professionalism.
“Furthermore, working with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, we see personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces involved in the clean-up of our drainage systems and of our markets.”
He said in the very few instances where members of national security agencies had employed the use of excessive force against the citizenry, in enforcing the restrictions on movement, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Armed Forces had taken steps to investigate such incidents, and, that they had given him the assurance that, those found culpable, would be duly sanctioned.
“Thus far, the alleged wrongdoers have been withdrawn from the on-going exercise.”
President Akufo-Addo said to enhance command and control, more senior officers had been deployed at the operational level, and each member of our security services participating in the exercise had been handed an aide-mémoire highlighting, essentially, the guidelines for the operation.
He recounted that all that the Government was doing was intended to achieve five key objectives – limit and stop the importation of the virus; contain its spread; provide adequate care for the sick; limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life; and inspire the expansion of the nation’s domestic capability and deepen its self-reliance.
“As at today, Sunday, 5th April, 2020, our current situation is such that we have recorded a total of 214 cases,” he said.
The Greater Accra Region has 189 cases, followed by the Ashanti Region with 12, Northern Region 10, Upper West Region one, Eastern Region one, and Upper East Region one.
The President noted that the 10 cases from the Northern Region were of the West African nationals who entered the country illegally, after the closure of the borders.
He said in total, three persons had fully recovered from the disease, 49 persons had been discharged from treatment facilities, and were being managed from home; and the remaining one hundred and 155 were responding to treatment; declaring that two persons were moderately ill, whilst five persons had already lost their lives.
“Of the 1,030 travellers, who were mandatorily quarantined and tested on their arrival in Ghana on the 21st and 22nd of March, 79 were initially found to be positive, and appropriate arrangements were made for their isolation and treatment,” he stated.
“Subsequently, after 12 further days of quarantine, 26 other persons were found to be positive as a result of their second test, bringing the total number of those found to be positive to 105, all of whom have been isolated for treatment.”
He said of the remaining 925 persons, who had undergone two tests and found to be negative, 804 had been released from quarantine to join their families.
By Iddi Yire, GNA
