The Chairman of the Tobinco Group of Companies, Nana Amo Tobbin I, has called for a total lockdown of Ghana in fighting the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
He told Atinka TV’s ‘COVID-19 – The Impact’ programme, which airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 5 pm and 6 pm, that even though the government deserves commendation for coming out with some practical measures to tackle the pandemic, a total lockdown rather than a partial one, would greatly impact the fight against the disease.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo last Friday announced a two-week partial lockdown of Greater Accra, Kasoa, Tema and Greater Kumasi as part of measures to contain the spread of the pandemic.
However, Nana Amo Tobbin, who is also the President of the Pharmaceutical Division of the Association of Ghana Industries, argued that the partial lockdown is not completely achieving its intended purpose.
He said the lull between the announcement (Friday, March 27, 2020) and the start of the lockdown (Monday, March 30, 2020) allowed people to travel to areas that did not have the disease.
He said the movement may have allowed a further spread of the disease across the country, thus, his call for a total lockdown.
According to him, Wuhan, in China, India and other countries which adopted the total lockdown policy are tackling the pandemic effectively.
Nana Amo Tobbin, who also runs the biggest pharmaceutical company in West Africa, Entrance Pharmaceutical, expressed optimism that Ghana will soon go for a total lockdown.
Touching on homelessness amid the lockdown, Nana Amo Tobbin, said the government should have considered housing itinerant female load carriers or Kayayei and other homeless people before announcing the lockdown.
His comments follow reports that two cargo trucks transporting kayayei to Walewale in the Northern Region, were busted in Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.
Nana Amo Tobbin explained that the government could have considered housing these homeless people in the dormitories of the various Senior High Schools within the period of the lockdown since the students are currently home.
