Eugene Nyavor
Beverly Afaglo is warning of severe starvation should government decide to close down markets in Ghana due to Coronavirus.
Though government has not indicated it will keep markets closed, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly announced a temporal closure of markets in Accra on March 23, for a fumigation exercise.
Some Ghanaians suggest that markets should be closed down to prevent further spread of the virus.
On Saturday March 21, Ghana recorded 21 cases of COVID-19 with one casualty.
Beverly Afaglo stressed that closure of markets in the country will lead to starvation because Ghanaians don’t have enough money to stock up their homes.
“No we shouldn’t close down the markets else we’ll starve. Ghanaians, we don’t have money like the developed countries that perhaps if they don’t have physical cash they can use credit card to buy lots of things and stock them at home”
She warned that a possible closure could cause a repeat of the 1983 famine.
“We [Ghanaians] don’t have much money to opt to buy and stock stuff at home for a month. So you’ll see that it won’t affect the rich but the poor will be affected then the history of the 1983 hunger will repeat itself. So, they should take their time on the closure of the markets idea. The market women should protect themselves for us, we’re pleading with them. We won’t have money to stock food.”
President Akufo-Addo on Saturday night of March 21, closed all borders of the country for two weeks to help prevent the spread of the virus.
