Whatsup News has intercepted both a wireless transmission from the Ghana Police Service (GPS) and a letter from the National Operational Directorate of the Police Service that plans have been concluded for a lockdown, as Ghana records 136 infections and four death from Covid-19 coronavirus.
The areas to suffer this lockdown would be Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Obuasi, according to the GPS’ Operational Order No. 03/2020 with reference number NHQ/OPS/ORD/VOL.1 in the possession of Whatsup News.
“It is further anticipated that four (4) cities namely; Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Obuasi will be amongst the first batch of cities to be locked down,” the operational order letter read.
Consequently, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), and the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) will join the Police Service to enforce the lockdown.
“In line with the deployment strategy of the Ghana Police Service (GPS), the service will foremost lay emphasis on enforcing the lockdown directives to the letter,” the document warned.
To emphasise this build-up of security agencies for a lockdown, a police dispatch message also intercepted by Whatsup News today from the Director-General (Administration) to all operational unit commanders reinforced the fact that Ghana has already activated a lockdown protocol. “Police Contingency Plan for Covid-19. INGPOL directs all operational unit commanders and personnel to be on standby with the immediate effect,” read the police dispatch.
In the lockdown, roads such as the Accra-Akropong, Accra-Winneba, Accra-Kumasi, Tema Beach road, Kumasi-Mampong, Kumasi-Tamale roads, etc., will be locked down, Whatsup News can confirm.
Even though the Akufo Addo administration has not been exactly forthcoming to the public on the groundswell for a lockdown among the security agencies, it has given hints like the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah today stating that the government was “very near” to the point of making a decision on whether or not to declare a lockdown.
“We are very near a decision point…We are close to a decision point on the best model, and the optimal thing to do. So, that is not out of panic or emotion but it is directed by the science and data as we’ve done so far in guiding us to this point,” he said.
In a meeting with the Trade Union Congress on Thursday, March 26, 2020, the President appeared indecisive on the lockdown decision, saying “Now people are talking about a lockdown in Ghana and this and that but we should know that the majority of people will be affected. The ordinary Ghanaians are the ones that will be most affected and it is important for us who have to take this decision to take into account, their circumstances and conditions.”
However, from the tone of the documents available to Whatsup News, a lockdown decision had been taken since March 24 2020.
Critics opposed to a lockdown have argued that the lockdown should have a human face with essential services allowed to operate. This is because majority of Ghanaians are in the informal sector and a lockdown that prevents them from plying their trade could explode in mass anger.
Also, critics have wondered how the government will enforce a lockdown in a country where access to basic social amenities such as power, water and sanitation are dubious.
Meanwhile, Ghana has over 100,000 homeless people on the streets of its main urban hubs, critics wonder how they would be protected from the raging virus.
Meanwhile, the documents intercepted by Whatsup News expressed fears that the public may be agitated and resort to adverse reaction to a lockdown; possible supply chain disruption that may lead to agitation; depletion of essential commodities and food shortage, among several other considerations can spell disaster for the Akufo Addo administration’s lockdown plans.
The police say they are determined to arrest and prosecute those who breach the lockdown.