The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu South in the Volta Region, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, is asking government to put measures in place to alleviate the suffering of people living in border towns in the country.
Speaking on the protest which the residents have embarked on today, August 27, 2021, she stated that the hundreds of residents in the Ketu South Municipality who are currently on the streets in the municipality demanding the opening of the Aflao Border need to be heard.
“And then the state must find a way to alleviate the suffering of the people.
“I’ve been told that our President is a listening President; a listening government. I’m hoping that this time around after the statement, the questions, and the demonstration, something will be said”.
Dzifa Gomashie
She further lamented how the country’s land borders have been closed since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic in 2020 by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“In March when the announcement came that the borders were going to be closed, the airports were closed too. However, we put in protocols and the airports are open now. Who is interested in what is happening to the people living at the border?”
Dzifa Gomashie
Respond to the call by residents
Dzifa Gomashie also called for government to respond to the calls for the borders to be opened, adding that, government must ensure to communicate with the protesting residents.
“We need for the state to come and say that, this is the timeline. From March till 2023 the borders are going to remain closed and within that time, this is what we are putting in place because of COVID or because of terrorist. Whatever the reason may be, communicate something to us.”
Dzifa Gomashie
Aflao Protest
Hundreds of residents in the Ketu South Municipality in the Volta region today, Friday August 27, 2021 hit the street to protest and demand the reopening of the Aflao border after months of closure.
The residents said air borders which were closed together with land borders due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID 19) pandemic have been reopened for months but there have been no attempts to replicate the same for land borders.
Due to this, they indicated that they are therefore calling the government to open the land borders since they play an important role in their economic activities.
The demonstrators urged the government to implement the same measures being used at the airports at the borders. They decried hardship due to the closure of the Aflao border and pledged to follow all the COVID 19 protocols if the borders are opened.
They said some of the measures put at the airport should be put at the borders where people can manage to follow protocols to go about their daily activities.
Earlier in the day, the Ghana Police and the Ghana Immigration Service also sent personnel to control the protest and protect the borders to prevent any form of violence from emanating.
