The Ghana Army headquarters has began a massive supply of portable water to targeted poor communities in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, lacking pipe-borne water in their homes .
The Ghana Armed Forces as part of the front line and essential service workers have stepped up their role in combating the global pandemic- Covid-19, also known as Novel Coronavirus.
The water supply endeavour, which started on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, witnessed two poor informal communities within the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality, in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana- Mangdjaanor and Kaadjaanor, with a combined population of more than 7,000, being served with three of 4,500-litre tankers of potable water.
There was a huge patronage of the free service extended to these communties. Directed by the men and women in uniform, they took turns to take as much as they needed.
As a response to the plight of the distressed people, the Chief Staff Officer (CSO) of the Ghana Army – Brigadier General (Brig Gen) Michael Amoah Ayisi, hinted that the military would not only sustain the supply to that community, but would likely extend the service to other deprived communities, to help curb the wave of the ravaging pandemic.
General Ayisi additionally urged the general populace to abide by the lockdown order, though inconvenient, because it is aimed at curbing the feared virus, failure to which the entire citizenry might have to pay a higher price, than is now being required.
The Municipal Chief Executive of the beneficiary municipality – Solomon Kotey Nikoi, who accompanied the Army team to Mangdjaanor, speaking on strict adherence to the issue of social distancing by his people, surmised that the protocol is now sinking into the consciousness of the people and hoped that with continued public education, the message would sink in.
In appreciation of the great gesture by the Army, the Assemblyman for the New-Kaadjaanor Electoral Area – Emmanuel Nyarko-Baah, said that prior to the supplies by the military, the poor slum residents paid moneys from their meagre resources, to acquire water for use, even after the Presidential announcement for free use of water by all.
In a related event Ghanaian gospel musician – Philippa Baafi, presented cooked and packaged food to the Army, as part of her contribution to the Operation Covid Safety. The food was cordially received by the Command Logistics Officer (CLO) of Southern Command (S/COMD) – Colonel Stephen Opoku-Agyeman, who in turn requested the singer to use her social influence, to urge Ghanaians to obey the Stay Home order.
©Christiana Afua Nyarko
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