The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has suspended his tour of some voter registration centres in the country.
Mahama cut short his tour over what he claimed was “the very low awareness of the COVID-19 protocols including physical distancing and the wearing of masks” among the public.
“I have cut short my unannounced visit to some voter registration centres in Accra and Tema this afternoon. This is because of the very low awareness of the #COVID19 protocols including physical distancing and the wearing of masks,” he posted on his Facebook page.
John Mahama has thus called for intensified education on the coronavirus disease and its safety protocols among the general public.
“We have to step up public education on COVID-19 so that people can appreciate the risk reduction protocols,” he added.
The voters’ registration exercise has generally been proceeding smoothly.
The main problem, however, which seems to run through most of the registration centres across the country is the failure for the public to observe the social distancing protocol.
It is for this reason that the Bureau of Public Safety (BPS) is asking President Akufo-Addo to summon the EC and the Ghana Police Service over the lack of adherence to the COVID-19 preventive measures.
According to the Bureau, the non-compliance to social distancing and the other safety rules are as a result of the failure of the EC and the Police service to act.
Even though the concerns have been numerous, the EC, however, insists that the situation has improved as compared to before and that it has taken pragmatic steps to ensure that the social distancing protocol is widely adhered to at each centre.
The Commission’s Head of Public Affairs, Sylvia Annor in an interview with Citi News said registrants will be required to form queues responsibly, amongst others to ensure that the COVID-19 protocols are not breached.
She also said registration officers assigned to the various centres are to create markings on the floor that will ensure social distancing.
