Togbe Afede
The National House of Chiefs (NHC) has called on traditional leaders to desist from violating and disregarding the social distancing protocols outlined by the President and health experts to stop the spread of Covid-19.
Some chiefs were misconstruing the lifting of the partial lockdown to mean a return to the previous times, the NHC observed.
They also observed with grave concern, the inability of some traditional leaders to adhere to the prescribed social distancing measures, in spite of the increasing trend of confirmed cases of Covid–19 infections in Ghana.
A letter issued to all traditional leaders on Monday and jointly signed by the President and the Vice President of the NHC, Togbe Afede XIV and Dasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII respectively said, “We would like to remind all our traditional leaders that even though the lockdown has been lifted in Accra, Kasoa, Kumasi and their surrounding areas, we are not out of the woods yet.”
It added that “Covid-19 is still here. We should all observe the same preventive measures and directives that the government and health experts have been preaching.”
The letter entreated traditional leaders to suspend all traditional activities that would breach social distancing requirements.
The NHC letter specifically advised that performance of funerals and traditional rites must be restricted to a few people; and that the few participants at those funerals and traditional rites must fully respect the protocols and directives on social distancing; cover their noses and mouths and wash and sanitize their hands before, during and after such activities.
It also urged the traditional leaders to ensure that the social distancing and hygiene protocols were observed in the various market places.
The NHC in the letter described as important for all of chiefs to keep abreast with the preventive measures and directives and educate their subjects accordingly, in order to stem the spread of Covid-19 in the various communities.
It urged traditional leaders in the border towns to help enforce the closure of borders, as directed by the President.
The letter urged them to rise up and commit to the Covid-19 fight and also shun any inappropriate behaviours that would endanger the health of not only the people of the community involved but the rest of Ghana.