The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture has explained that it is currently not possible to fly rapper Pappy Kojo or any individual who is currently stranded in a coronavirus-hit country, particularly when that country is in a lockdown.
Madam Barbara Oteng Gyasi’s disclosure clearly means that the rapper’s calls to be brought back to Ghana from Italy have been dashed.
Pappy Kojo, who is currently stranded in Italy, where coronavirus (COVID-19) has claimed a lot of lives, had made calls to the government to help bring him back home.
The ‘Awo’a’ hitmaker, in an interview with MzGee on the entertainment news segment on New Day on TV3 on Friday, had made a passionate appeal to authorities to bring him back to the country from Italy.
“I’m not safe. I live just across a busy street and people keep using that road every minute which is not safe for me, I’ve been calling out to the government; yet no response,” the rapper, born Jason Gaisie, said.
He further appealed, “I’m a Ghanaian and I’ve done a lot for this country in terms of creative arts. Sincerely I’m not safe, I have something to feed on now but I’m afraid I might soon run out of food.”
Reacting to Pappy Kojo’s call in an interview on Showbiz 927 on 3FM with MzGee, the Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister said it will be impossible to bring him home now.
According to her, “Currently, travelling is out of the question. We’re not encouraging people to come to Ghana. Ghanaians can return home but if you’re in a country which is locked down and you don’t have a flight coming in, then how do you travel? He wants to be jetted back to Ghana? How is that possible? We cannot arrange a jet to bring an individual back.”
Madam Barbara Oteng Gyasi added: “We’re trying to contain a situation and the directive is that for countries which have recorded over 200 cases, we are not allowing people from those countries into Ghana because we are also trying to contain the situation here. And I believe that wherever he finds himself if he follows the guidelines from the protocols, he will be safe.”
Source: 3news.com|Ghana