Covid-19: Our Policies are suggested by Experts not “Politicians Masquerading as Medical Doctors” - Gov’t Responds to NDC
Government said its covid-19 policy interventions are to serve the interests of Ghanaians
Jonas Danquah 
The Akufo-Addo Government has refuted claims by the Opposition National Democratic Congress that its responses to the Covid-19 outbreak have been to score political points rather than safeguard the health of the people.
Government said its covid-19 policy interventions are to serve the interests of Ghanaians, and were suggested by the experts in handling a crisis situation of this magnitude.
The Deputy Information Minister Pius Hadzide at a press conference in Accra on Friday [May 8, 2020] disclosed that the country’s Covid-19 taskforce is being co-ordinated by a former Deputy Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Asamoah Baah.
The Taskforce, according to the deputy minister, is made up of; epidemiologists, virologists, Medical Doctors, Ministry of Health Officials, Ghana Health Service officials and security officials, leaving little room to foster any partisan agendas.
“It is a taskforce of persons of reputable background knowledge, and expertise that advice H.E the President on the policy options in fighting Covid-19 not politicians masquerading as medical doctors in partisan Covid-19 teams”
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu accused the Akufo-Addo of being interested in his re-election than the safety of Ghanaians amid the covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking in a Party briefing on Ghana’s Covid-19 situation yesterday [May 7, 2020], Haruna Iddrisu said the government continues to misconstrue data on covid-19 updates to suit its agenda.
He alleged that some key statistics have not been made available by the government in attempts to water down the severity of the pandemic.
“The cheap stunts designed to bolster a faltering narrative will not save us. Blatant falsehoods told to garnish the image of this administration in the face of the foreign press will not save us.
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What these will do, instead, is consolidate a false sense of security in the Ghanaian public that will obscure our view of the danger we face. Indeed, false claims about low prices of local foodstuff on the market, plantain included is part of the grand scheme to create a false sense of security. Without an appreciation for the plain reality of our situation, the preventive measures will not be taken seriously. And if they are not taken seriously, we will lose this fight and we will pay a heavy price for it” Haruna Iddrisu said.
But, Pius Hadzide said the assertion by the minority leader, that the Akufo-Addo government was misconstruing available data to give false sense of security, was “false and lacks basis”.
“The NDC cannot be allowed to approbate and reprobate on this matter. In one breath they claim ‘the scientist at Noguchi and all other testing facilities deserves this nation’s thanks for the commitment they have shown in this national effort so far’ and in another breath indict them by claiming that they misuse scientific terminologies without empirical basis. H.E the president has led from the front and continues to address the nation honestly and regularly”
The Deputy Minister added that, Ghana’s covid-19 response plan was strategized before the country recorded its first cases.
