Ghanaian filmmaker and director, Kofi Asamoah has lamented over the closure of cinemas in the country as he avers that the President now has no excuse to keep the cinemas closed.
It can be recalled that multitudes of people were seen gathered at the funeral of the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John) and more recently at the Accra sports stadium for the match between Hearts of Oak and Great Olympics. Most people during these two events were seen flouting the Covid 19 protocols.
Speaking on the back of this, Kofi Asamoah stated in an interview that the President has failed industry players, if after these two events he still decides to keep the cinemas closed.
“What happened in the sports stadium and at Sir John’s s funeral make it so clear that our President and his governing team have no excuse whatsoever for keeping the cinemas closed. The President did say that the closure of the cinemas is to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and to protect the life of the citizens. But what happened at these two venues clearly show that the government has failed us”.
Being in an open area and a confined area
Meanwhile, some people have argued that those two events occurred in an open space area. Touching on this, Kofi Asamoah said: “Yes indeed the two venues are opened air venues”.
“But even so they are not free of the virus. Open-air spaces are not places that once you are around such an area, you become immune to the virus… So, let’s not compare it to the cinema”.
Mr. Asamoah also registered his displeasure over how the police at those events handled issues. He emphasized that the police didn’t ensure that people who were present at the event obeyed the safety protocols and this he said was in the full glare of the President and his Vice.
According to him, the police should have used the;same energy they used to stop Kobi Rana’s movie from screening to also wade;off people who weren’t in masks from attending the funeral and going to the stadium.
Is there ulterior motives for the close down of cinemas
Kofi Asamoah further mentioned that maybe there is some other untold reason as to why the cinemas remain closed. Nonetheless, he stated some reasons as to why he thinks the cinema should be opened.
“I continue to say that there is some other reason for the continuous;close down of the cinema, that’s what I think. I can’t say it as a fact but I soo feel it that there could;be some other reasons why our cinemas are closed.
“Yes, the cinema is an enclosed area but the risk of transfer with Covid protocols in place is so minimal. In the cinema, social distancing can easily be ensured and enforced. Everyone can watch a movie with a nose mask on for the entire duration of a film”.
When asked for solutions to solve this pressing issue, he suggested that “all we can do now is continually plead with the government to open the cinemas. Because honestly there is nothing, we can do for them to open up the cinemas” . He further added that “well, with all that has happened at both events, the President himself should see that he has to open the cinema”.
