Government has announced a 10-cedi daily food package for each head porter in parts of the country affected by the partial anti-coronavirus lockdown which began on Monday.
Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama, who announced this said each Kayeyei will for the next two weeks that the lockdown will persist, receive 10 cedis everyday to buy food.
The decision, she explained, was based on a directive issued by President Nana Akufo-Addo to cushion the head porters most of who depend on daily earnings from carrying goods for people in market areas.
About 76 head porters who attempted to smuggle themselves out of Accra to their hometowns in the northern part of the country to flee the lockdown in parts of the country, were intercepted by security personnel on Monday.
Their attempted mass crossover to the north was seen as a threat to efforts by health officials and the government to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which has infected 195 people in the country and killed five of them.
They have since been escorted to Accra.
Despite the temporary provision of shelter for them by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, many have raised concerns over the plight of the head porters as business activities in Accra have come to a halt.
Bawumia’s support
Against this backdrop, the Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has donated 500 cedis to each of them ‘stranded’ porters to ameliorate their plight during the period of the partial lockdown.
The amount was presented to them by the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama.
Meanwhile the Vice President has also urged all Ghanaians to continue to observe the preventive measures of regular washing of hands with soap under running water, while they observe the partial lockdown at their respective homes.
“While we stay at home to prevent the spread, let us continue to adhere strictly to all the preventive measures to avoid the spread of the virus,” he urged.
“Let us continue to wash our hands regularly with soap under running water, as well as constantly use alcohol-based hand sanitizers to sanitize our hands. We shall overcome, in shaa Allah.”
By 3news.com