The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan and the Effia Kwesimintsim Municipal Assemblies both in the Western Region have resorted to whipping of residents who refuse to wear nose masks.
Wearing of nose masks at public places is now mandatory in Ghana as one of the measures to contain and manage COVID-19. But the situation in most parts of the Western Region is quite different as many including traders, transport operators, and Fisherfollks have refused to comply with the directive
The low compliance on the wearing of the nose mask has compelled the two city authorities to use the military, police and city guards to cane recalcitrant residents who flout directive.
On Tuesday, the taskforce stormed the central business district ( Market Circle) and whipped a number of people including two Chinese nationals who, according to eyewitness accounts, was having a banter with the military.
A watch dealer who witnessed some of the strokes hail the move as he told Empire News’ Emmanuel Ohene-Gyan that people ‘all of a sudden were wearing the nose mask’.
” I am happy with the action taking by the STMA, I want them to move to especially the markets and coastal communities and I pray the action does not become a nine-day wonder,” he said.
Even though some security analysts and experts have condemned the action of whipping people for not wearing the nose mask, residents seem to bee in support of the action.
But the PRO of the Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly John Laste told Starr News the reports of whipping cannot be substantiated.
“So far I haven’t seen anything like that. There are some who say they have video evidence but when you ask them to provide them so we investigate, they don’t,” he told Morning Starr.
Speaking to Starr News security analyst Colonel Festus Aboagye condemned the action saying such things do not have space in a democracy.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Emmanuel Ohene Gyan
