Tumu, (UW/R), April 14, GNA – The public have been advised to manage food and other resources judiciously in order not to face famine and other untold hardships should the fight of the COVID-19 pandemic prolong.
Alhaji Mahamudu Yakubu, the GPRTU chairman of the Sissala East Municipality in the Upper West Region who gave the advice in an interview with the GNA said in view of the ban on public transportation of passengers in some parts of the country as a way to manage the spread of the virus would have negative effects on food transportation.
“We all have to reduce and manage the food that we have until things get better otherwise, there could be hardship as people have stopped moving, which makes it difficult to come by money as there is no physical interaction”, he explained.
Alhaji Mahamadu mentioned that “We need to be managing what we have whiles hoping that, the almighty God would show his divine mercy so that everything returns to normalcy”.
He further noted that “Before the virus, at least two or one cargo trucks would come from Kumasi to Tumu with goods but now I don’t see them again. It’s a sign all those that transported goods and services will not be able to do it and this has left those that buy and load without job whilst they feed”
He said as a result of the COVID-19 passenger numbers had reduced between Tumu to Wa and Bolgatanga, which affected livelihoods.
“In a day about 14 mini buses used to load to Tumu from Wa whilst about four would load from Tumu and suddenly all had reduced to one in a day from both towns”, he lamented.
This, he indicated puts pressure on all families to depend on what they have whilst the lockdown in Kumasi meant that Techiman was now providing with some of the essential goods.
He said the GPRTU in Tumu was also following precautionary measures to curb the pandemic and had provided veronica buckets with water and liquid soap for visitors and passengers to wash their hands.
GNA