The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has donated 500 Cedis to each of the stranded Kayaye (head porters) who were stopped at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region on their way to the Northern Region.
The head porters,
numbering about 76, had attempted to flee from Accra back to their hometowns in
the wake of the President’s order for a partial lockdown in the Capital City
and other parts of the country, but their journey back home was unsuccessful as
it fell within the lockdown time on Monday.
Their attempted mass crossover to the north was seen as a threat to stop the
spread of the virus in the country, and they were thus stopped from proceeding
by security officials, who returned them to Accra.
Despite the temporary provision of shelter for them by the Accra Metropolitan
Assembly, many have raised concerns over the plight of the Kayayes under the
current circumstance, as business activities in the heart of Accra have come to
a halt.
It is in response to this that the Vice President has donated 500 Cedis to each
of them to ameliorate their plight during the period of the partial lockdown.
The donation was made on behalf of the Vice President by the Minister for Local
Government and Rural Development, Hajia Alima Mahama. She was accompanied by
Dr. Sagare Bambangi, MP for Walewale and Mustafa Ussif, CEO of the National
Service Secretariat.
Hajia Alima Mahama also revealed
that President Akufo-Addo has directed that government assist all Kayaye head
porters by giving each of them GH 10 cedis per day to buy food throughout the
lockdown period.
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, inshaa Allah.”
Source: Jubilee House