COVID-19 is known to be a matter of life and death, and due to how contagious the virus is to human health, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo directed for all borders and entry points to Ghana to be closed.
The President further ordered that any persons who enter the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) from countries where COVID-19 is prevalent should be placed under compulsory quarantine.
Renowned Television Personality, Oheneyere Gifty Anti was one of the thousands of people who were bused to the quarantine centers following President Akufo-Addo's directives.
Oheneyere Gifty Anti was in the studios of Peace FM on Thursday, April 9, 2020 to share her emotional story with host Kwami Sefa Kayi on the station's flagship programme.
She noted that the Ghanaian passport cannot be undermined as these trying times have proven to her how powerful the passport is.
She revealed that, returning to Ghana from the UK, she witnessed a number of people not in possession of the Ghanaian passport turned away by British Airways officials.
She told the host that she and all the passengers aboard British Airways to Ghana were given prior notice of the President's directive for compulsory quarantine but no matter a person's portfolio, position, race or color; no one was allowed to board the flight without a Ghanaian passport.
"Before I checked in at the airport, I was told that 'do you know your President says when you get there, there will be mandatory? I said yes'. Before I boarded the plane, I was told...In fact it was when we were boarding that I saw the real importance of Ghana passport. It is powerful. If you don't hold one, you won't be allowed to board. Oh no no no no way! If you don't have it, you won't board. No way! No way! Even if you're a Ghanaian and you don't have dual citizenship, you won't be permitted to board. I saw people being turned away. Nigerians, the whites, whatever; they were turned away. They were not allowed to get on the plane. That is British Airways.''
She also added that she was upset about the agitations from the people under quarantine because they all knew beforehand that the government would convey them from the airport to quarantine centers.
''That's why I was pretty upset when people were agitating. I was just wondering. That was the reason for my first video because they told us. Kwami, in the plane...They kept announcing. The Pilot announced. Flight attendant announced. Upon reaching Ghana, the Customs officials and the security personnel came inside the plane to announce it...So, they kept announcing it and we all knew that this is going to happen''.
However, though she knew there would be mandatory quarantine, it didn't come as a smooth ride as ''there were security personnel around. The Minister and National Security Minister was there including the Deputy, Hon. Henry Quartey was there. BNI Director was there. Top Military officials were there...Health Professionals were there and they were not favouring anybody. I came with some big boys. I mean high-profile personalities including Chiefs, great men of God but everybody was subjected to the same treatment. We were all nobodies.''
Describing the situation as uncomfortable but a necessary intervention by the government, Gifty Anti recounted moments that she was taken to the hotel and asked by the authorities to remain in her room and not dare step outside not to even gasp for breath; all in an attempt to contain the situation.
"You can't compare it to a prison. Kwami, at least, for prison; they have each other to talk to. This one, you have nobody to talk to. It's just you.''
She said there wasn't any opportunity for those under compulsory quarantine to be wandering about but rather every individual was confined in his or her room with no contact with one another.
She revealed that security operatives comprising the Police and Military as health professionals were present at the quarantine centers to ensure no one escaped.
She narrated an incident where she decided to stick her neck out of her room but only to meet a Military officer stationed on her door who said "Madam, please go inside''.
''This time everybody is at a distance. All I received was 'Hi, Aunty Gifty'. They bring you forms to fill but willl be at a distance from you and when you finish filling it, then the person will sanitize him/herself and come for it. I mean I don't want to say it was demeaning but it just killed your spirit. It looked like you're a contagious something.
"We're sorry you can't come out. The only time you can open your door is when the Health Professionals are in and taking your temperature or food is being delivered to you among other things'' she stated, adding that ''it was so heartbreaking and if you're not careful, you'll get angry but you must, I mean it always occurred to me that these people are equally scared. They have families...''
Gifty Anti was permitted to join her family after spending 14 days under mandatory quarantine.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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Please tell this woman that this is a directive from the President and this has nothing to do with the passport. She should have tried going to the USA with her passport and seen the consequencies.
Come on woman, you know that’s baloney
Before Nana Addo announce that only Ghanaians can come to Ghana there are other countries that have already close their airports and going to China for their nationals so if nana addo can’t go for his nationals the only thing he can do is to allow them to come freely. So this have nothing to do with Ghana passport been powerful.if you want to know the most powerful passport ranking then go to google you will see Ghana‘a ranking position.
guys relax !!! as she said herself , she is writing a book on her quarantine experience. she, unfortunately aided by KSK (media mafia), ran riot in her usual narcissistic manner making out like she was the only passenger quarantined. Slowly but surely, she is rising without a trace. hmmmmm
@SENIORMAN IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WOMAN HAS TRAVELED ONLY FROM ACCRA TO LONDON AND BACK THAT'S ALL. LET HER GO TO OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, RUSSIA,CHINA AND THE REST THEN SHE WILL SEE IF THE GHANA PASSPORT IS POWERFUL.IF SHE DOESN'T KNOW LET IT KNOWN TO HER THAT THE LEAST RESPECTED PASSPORT IN AFRICA IS OUR PASSPORT IN EUROPE. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO OUT OF IGNORANCEEE DECEIVE GHANAIANS. EVEN THE ARABS WHO SEE THEMSELVES AS WHITES DO NOT REGARD OUR PASSPORT.SHE SHOULD LEARN FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN MISTREATED, HUMILIATED AT AIRPORTS BECAUSE OF OUR PASSPORT.
This lady thinks she is on political platform campaigning for a party she belongs to. Fellow citizens if we continue to fight this pandemic using politics the nation would be the looser. Can the lady tell Ghanaians which expensive hotel she was quarantined and how much the government paid. some of the guys were quarantined at very cheap hotel with no food. Enough of the none sense. Has she learnt of what is happening in China. has she learned about how food for the needy is distributed on political party colors. This is the time to preach what would help Ghanaians and stop bragging about bull and cock stories. Show some love to the needy because we are not in normal times. Stop the media propaganda and go to less previllaged communities and educate the citizens. This is what an average Ghanaian would expect from so called wife of a chief
PLEASE NEVER AGAIN SAY THAT OUR PASSPORT IS POWERFUL.OUR PASSPORT IS ALMOST RUBBISH IN EUROPE just because EUROPEAN COUNTRIES KNOW IS IT BEING SOLD AT THE PASSPORT OFFICE IN ACCRA.DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES HAVE BEEN DELAYED AT HEATHROW AIRPORT?WE NEED FACTS :
I kept on asking my self questions as I read the renowned jeona list ordeal or Esperance as she put.until the later part I was so so confused about her ghanian passport matter. Before Convid 19, don't officials check passport?. Maybe she should come better and clearer.if you're going to To go or The UK, won't you use Ghanaian passport? Well maybe she meant different thing
Ooooh God, what at all did we do for u to punish us with the face of this woman. Please God, COVID is enough. Park this old woman somewhere
So what was her point in this declaration. So if the Togo government issues order that without Their passport they will not accept non nationals. Does that make Togo passport important that my other. Please sometimes it is better u speak not, u tend to embarrass yourself too much. So by then other countries like Singapore Malaysia and co were also strict so what makes of their passport tooo. Disappointing