The Regional Security Council(REGSEC) of Ahafo together with Paramount Chiefs have lifted the two weeks ban placed on weekly market activities but with strict directives to be adhered to for social distancing protocol to be respected.
The decision giving the green light for weekly market activities to commence amid COVID-19 was brought to bear at a review meeting at the assembly hall of the Regional Coordinating Council(RCC), Goaso the regional capital.
Addressing the media, the Regional Minister, Honourable(Hon) Evans Opoku Bobie who chaired the meeting stated that the decision by REGSEC is as a result of the people respecting and adhering to the various initial directives outlined by REGSEC and the Paramount Chiefs for the past 14 days to help prevent COVID-19 hitting the region.
According to Hon. Babies who are the Chairman of REGSEC said, from 25th May 2020, traders are allowed to work as expected at all the weekly market centers in the region but under some directives to enforce and respect the social distancing protocol as a key weapon to fight the virus.
He told the media that the Municipal District Assemblies(MDAs) numbered six in the region are to relocate parts of the market space to other areas to spread out the market population. Heads of the assemblies namely Asunafk North, Asunafo South, Tano North, Tano South, Asutifi North, and Asutifi South are too engaged market leaders and other opinion leaders to institute satellite markets meaning section of the traders must be moved to other areas like parks for business to commenced.
Another directive attached to the lifting of the ban is the “No Mask, No Entry” which means all patrons without face masks will not have access to the market centers. He stated that the traders must also comply with the “No Mask, No Entry” slogan.
However, the Regional Minister who is the Member of Parliament(MP) for Asunafo North Constituency mentioned that earlier directives on commercial vehicles, tricycle(pragia), motorbike(Okada), and aboboyaa remain unchanged. Pragya must have two-person excluding the driver with all in face masks, okada must pick one where the two have their face masks on plus the rider wearing a helmet and the aboboyaa must carry only goods at the buckets with the driver in a face mask.
To ensure that the residents adhere to these sets of directives especially the new ones, the police are tasked to work as expected by ensuring that people respect the measure. He said the police will not spare persons who refuse to comply with the directives issued by both REGSEC and Paramont Chiefs who all mandated to protect the residents.
He stated, the directives by REGSEC and the chiefs must not be seen as punishment but rather to maintain the COVID -free record of the region via their protection.
“Leaders of the region are doing all they can to prevent the virus infecting the region so all must adhere” Hon. Evans Opoku Bobie, Ahafo Regional Minister stated.
He pleaded with his people to observe all the preventive protocols for the region to be safe from COVID-19.
On the 8th May 2020(Friday) at Goaso, REGSEC together with 13 Paramont Chiefs and Municipal District Chief Executives(MDCEs) placed ban on weekly market activities for 14 days to let residents respect the social distancing protocol which is key combating the fight against COVID-19. To REGSEC the manner the market centres were overcrowded amid COVID-19 pandemic was alarming and without immediate intervention chaos might hit the region.