Mr Joe Ghartey, the Minister of Railways Development, has donated relief items to some chiefs in the Greater Accra and Volta regions as part of efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
The items include veronica buckets, small-size basins, gallons of liquid soap and detergents, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, bags of rice and gallons of cooking oil.
The Minister also donated to the North Tongu District Assembly in the Volta Region; the Shai-Osudoku District Assembly, Ningo-Prampram District Assembly, and Kpone Katamanso Municipal Assembly (KKMA) all in the Greater Accra Region.
The Minister, accompanied by Mr Kwaku Agyenim Boateng, a Deputy Minister, donated to the chiefs at their various traditional areas, during his second-leg tour of traditional areas along the eastern railway line; which is currently under construction.
The eastern railway line runs from Tema in the Greater Accra Region through Krobo in the Eastern Region and crosses over the Volta River to Juapong in the Volta Region and then to Mpakadan in the Eastern Region.
It would be recalled that early this month, the Eastern Region recorded its first case of COVID-19 in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality, when the patient, who is an Indian working with the company constructing the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, returned to Ghana after a visit to his home country.
So far, the number of COVID-19 cases within the Region along the Tema-Mpakadan railway enclave has risen above 20, of which all have been quarantined at AFCON Camp B at Kpong in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality.
Mr Ghartey, who first paid a courtesy call on the Manklalo of the Dorfor Traditional Area, Togbe Agbohla VI at Juapong, was met on his arrival by Pastor Johnson Aveletey, the Deputy Volta Regional Minister.
In the Greater Accra Region, Mr Ghartey and his entourage were received by Mrs Elizabeth Sackey, the Deputy Regional Minister.
The chiefs on whom Mr Ghartey called in the Greater Accra Region include Aadegbor Ngmogmowuyaa Kwesi Animle VI, Osudoku Mantse/President, Osudoku Traditional Council; and Nene Nonor Sodje V, Divisional Chief, Shai Traditional Council at Asutsure and Dodowa respectively.
At the Ningo-Prampram District Assembly, the Minister met with Nene Tetteh Afutu Nartey III, Chief of Afienya, and Elder Geoffrey Tetteh Nartey, representative of the Chief of Ablekuma.
He also met with Nii Tetteh Otu, Kpone Paramount Chief, at the Kpone Katamanso Municipal Assembly, and Nii Tetteh Oglie II, Chief of Saki.
Mr Ghartey said the donation was the Ministry’s small contribution towards containing the COVID-19 pandemic in the country and appealed to the traditional authorities to help educate the people on the disease.
He urged Ghanaians to follow the preventive protocols such as social distancing, frequent hand washing with soap under running water, the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers and the wearing of facemasks.
With regards to the construction works on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, the Minister said due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 in one of the camps of the workers, work had been suspended.
He said owing to the unfortunate situation, the scheduled deadline for the completion of the project in August, this year, would not be met.
All the chiefs expressed their gratitude to MR Ghartey for the kind gesture and pledged their absolute support for the eastern railway construction project.
The Osudoku Mantse lauded the President’s efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and appealed to the Government for the rehabilitation of roads within his traditional area.
Pastor Aveletey, who said the COVID-19 pandemic was a humbling experience for humanity, appealed to Ghanaians to fear God and uphold righteousness.
Mr Richard Collins Arku, the District Chief Executive (DCE), North Tongu District Assembly; Mr Daniel Teye Akuffo, DCE, Shai-Osudoku District Assembly; Mr Jonathan Paa Nii Doku, DCE, Ningo-Prampram District Assembly; and Mr Solomon Tetteh Appiah, Municipal Chief Executive, KKMA, all expressed their gratitude to Mr Ghartey for the timely support.
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