Accra, June, 17, GNA – The Light Foundation a Non-Governmental Organisation has urged Ghanaians to adhere to the COVID-19 safety Protocols issued by the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service.
He also called on Ghanaians to ensure peace before, during and after the 2020 elections.
Sheikh Ali A. Napari, the Executive Director of the Foundation made the appeal at a media encounter organised by the Foundation in Accra.
He said the strict adherence of the guidelines provided by the health institutions through the central government would help curb the rate of spread of the pandemic and there was the need to intensify education towards the COVID-19 in Muslim communities and the country as a whole.
Sheikh Aremeyaw Shaibu, the Spokesperson for the National Chief Imam said the COVID-19 pandemic was a Global threat and commended President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the updates given on the Virus.
He said the spread of the COVID-19 keeps rising in the country and that the only safety protocol was adherence and challenged the media to ignore fake news on the COVID-19 that had the tendency to spark tensions in the country.
“At times when you find a false information that cast doubt in your mind, it discourages you from taking the precautionary measures and for me that is a vserious threat to us as a nation”.
He said there was the need to seize the politicisation of information on the COVID-19 as the virus did not discriminate on grounds of political, tribal and religious affiliation.
He said there was rush to the old normalcy with the easing and that people in the Muslim communities did not observe the safety protocol in the markets and other social gatherings.
He said the Chief Imam with the support of the other Regional Chief Imams gave directives to request all mosques across the country to establish a COVID-19 task force and committees to monitor and ensure strict enforcement of the observance of the Protocols.
On the issue of peace, Sheikh Shaibu said Muslims were a supply source for political violence exploited by political actors in the country.
He urged them to avoid all forms of violence in the run up to the 2020 elections and that Muslims must discourage and disallow political vigilantism in the Muslim communities and the country as a whole.
Mr Ibrahim Tanko Amidu, Executive Director of Star Ghana Foundation in a solidarity message said individuals could not have a private solution for COVID-19 and stressed on the need for people to come together to collectively fight the disease.
He encouraged Ghanaians to say or do something whenever they saw wrong within their communities to ensure the safety of everybody.
Most Reverend Emmanuel Asante, Board member of the Foundation and a Representative of World Vision Ghana called on all faith leaders to use their religious influence in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
He urged all faith leaders to become the channel of hope in the area of education, gender, sanitation and hygiene, and Peace building in the country.
GNA