News about a certain night club/shisha joint owner in Osu attacking a COVID-19 protocol enforcement squad from the Greater Accra Regional Police is significant.
President Akufo-Addo during his 23rd update on the COVID-19 situation in the country announced measures to halt the upsurge of the disease.
Of course that was the first time that the President had ordered night clubs closed. His last update, however, had a certain level of urgency which was expected considering the state of the pandemic worldwide vis a vis our general indifferent attitude towards the hygiene protocols lately.
Now, the law enforcement apparatus has a chance to investigate and arraign a law breaker. Indeed, Heliwan Bilal of the Lounge Night Club did not only breach a critical law whose management or otherwise has a direct impact on the country’s chapter of the pandemic, he and others physically attacked the cops. Their attempt to disarm the cops could have resulted in a bloody aftermath.
We demand the application of the law as an important lesson for others to learn from.
The impunity exhibited by the owner of the night club was gross disrespect for a state institution such as the Ghana Police Service.
Personnel of the Ghana Police Service have in recent times been subjected to such assaults by irresponsible persons. A few days ago, the finger of a police officer was bitten off.
The Heliwan case being exceptional as it borders on a national health emergency for which express directive from the President abounds, there is no reason to delay justice.
Equally worrying is the mob action of the patrons of the night club and their stupid attempt at disarming the cops.
They found nothing wrong with the operation of the night club as Ghanaians which is regrettable.
Recently, the role of shisha in the spread of COVID-19 was in the news, a convincing stance given the fact that the mouthpiece of the pipe is shared by many customers. It is a pastime which is spreading like wildfire among the youth in some parts of the country.
It is our take that shisha joints like night clubs should be stopped from operation until the pandemic is over and it is safe for such facilities to start operations.
We might not have enough police officers to enforce the COVID-19 restrictions, but being a health emergency we expect the IGP to find a way of enforcing the law under the circumstances nonetheless.
Ghanaians should appreciate the seriousness of the pandemic and subject the police to enforce the directives.
Australia as we compose this commentary has zero COVID-19 case following one of the strictest enforcement of restrictions. We too can bring the numbers down to zero, lets us start now.