Editorial: Government must seek Serious Cooperation from Community Leaders and Religious Organizations in the Fight Against Covid-19

“Stomach hunger affects one person at a time, but social hunger hits everyone at the same time” – anonymous

Perhaps this is the reason the covid-19 prevention protocols must be adhered to by everyone; no exceptions permitted.

Over the past week, Ghananewsonline.com.gh’s regional newshounds have been monitoring religious activities in some communities around the Volta Region and we are glad to state that majority of our religious leaders; mostly Christians and Islamists are observing the World Health Organization (WHO) and Ghana Health Service (GHS)’s directives on COVID-19 prevention protocols. However, there are few leaders who appear to be causing their followers to disobey the lockdown directives given by President Nana Akufo-Addo. Largely, their disobedience is detrimental to the whole nation and state intelligence apparatus must act quickly to avert any covid-19 explosion through the inappropriate actions of some of these law-breakers.

By the presidential decree, No religious gathering (cell meetings and community prayer meetings inclusive) are permitted within this lockdown period. People and families are to observe social distancing protocols and this definitely involves avoiding the gathering of people from various family units.

We observed that commercial entities and corporations are observing and adhering to these directives and we join our voices to that of the President to thank them.

This said, it is with surprise that observed that some of the religious leaders are still exposing their members to the unseen enemy – coronavirus; could it be that they themselves are agents of death, seeking to destroy the lives of the very members they profess to be shepherding?

Christian and Islamic gatherings mostly involve vulnerable groups such as the aged, pregnant women and children and it is proven that these groups of people could easily be predisposed to being infected with the corona virus. It is against this backdrop that we at Ghananewsonline.com.gh are pleading with the public to be alert and report religious gatherings in their communities to the appropriate authorities.

Social distancing does not mean godlessness and the lockdown of a mosque or chapel is never a lockdown of a believer’s faith. In any case, there are technological platforms and avenues available to be deployed in reaching out and ministering to the various faith groups, hence we dutifully appeal to our religious leaders to take it easy on their followers.

Latest covid-19 reports state that Volta Region for example has nine cases; a clear case of complex web effect in the making. Oti Region, a sandwiched region between the Volta and Northern regions should set their guards on duty to prevent the duplex transmission thread from the Volta and Northern regions from reaching their space.

Now that suspected covid-19 cases have been identified in Hohoe, the cross-regional movements between the people of this city and their close Oti ally, Jasikan, should be seriously restricted because Jasikan is a doorway to Hohoe from Oti. Any subtle intrusion of covid-19 into the Oti region will have dire consequences on the Bono East and Savanna regions so the observance of the prevention protocols by the people of Hohoe and its environs will make Ghana breathe a little sigh of relief.

Our religious and community leaders therefore should be our law enforcement agents; before they are apprehended by the authorities concerned.