The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ellembelle District in the Western Region, Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh on behalf of the Assembly, has donated 250 quantities of Veronica bucket to fight against the spread of the deadly Coronavirus.
In addition, the DCE also donated 250 dustbins, over 500 bottles of liquid soap, nose masks, tissue papers, alcoholic-based hand sanitizers, washing bowls among other preventive items.
Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh yesterday, Wednesday, April 1, 2020 presented some of the Veronica buckets and other items to Ghana Police Service, Ghana Fire Service, Ellembelle Magistrate Court, NCCE, EC, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Education Service and other departments under the District.
The DCE is expected to deliver the rest of the Veronica buckets and other items to all the market places, public toilet places, lorry stations, all Communities within the district and public spaces.
This donation follows the formation of the Ellembelle Public Emergency Committee to educate the masses about the Coronavirus and how to ensure proper and frequent hand washing habits.
Speaking to GhanaWeb's Western Regional Correspondent Daniel Kaku after the presentation, the District Chief Executive Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh said the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic had affected the District economically, adding that everything has come to a standstill.
He said although the Assembly was spending millions of cedis to fight against the spread of the virus, the Assembly would make sure to protect government's expenditure.
Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh bemoaned how some market women and other sellers had increased the prices of Veronica buckets, sanitizers, tissues, liquid soaps, dustbins and other items.
"As we are speaking prices of Veronica buckets, sanitizers, nose masks, liquid soaps, dustbins and other items have been increased as a result of the outbreak of the Coronavirus and these items people don't get them to buy in our market places", he lamented.
He, therefore, seized the opportunity to appeal to the market women and other sellers to consider the buyers by not increase the prices of the aforementioned items.
"We will appeal to the market women that whatever we doing, we are doing to protect ourselves so they should not increase the items in the aim of getting more profits, let us think about others not to take advantage of the situation to punish others", he pleaded.
The DCE said although the district had not recorded any case of Coronavirus but said they would not sit aloof to let the District record any case before acting.
He said the Assembly was putting so many measures in place to stop the spread of the COVID-19 in the area.
"We are putting so many measures in place to stop the spread of this deadly virus so within this week we will outline our measures to the entire district to adhere to so that this District will not record any case of the virus", he disclosed.
He added, "This virus does not have any cure so what we can do to prevent it is to wash our hands frequently and also use hand sanitizers and I will say that the best way to avoid contracting and spreading to contract and spreading the virus is to stay at home and also observe social distancing protocol".
He emphasized that lives were very important than economies, adding that government would continue to protect the lives of Ghanaians.
"It is very necessary to spend much to protect ourselves because life is very important than economy because when someone loses his or her life, we cannot bring that life back but we can bring back our economy to life as President Akufo-Addo has so we are doing this to protect the good people of Ellembelle from the deadly Coronavirus so that they can go on with their daily lives", he stated.
Mr. Kwasi Bonzoh however, said the Assembly Members and Unit Committee Members in the area would be in charge of the Veronica buckets at their various Communities.
He urged them to take good care of the Veronica buckets that would be stationed at their various Communities to benefit all.
He concluded by appealing to all the residents in the District to join the campaign against the Coronavirus, "this fight is a shed responsibility so everybody must be on deck to intensify the education, I will continue to campaign against the Coronavirus and I know very soon the virus will vanish from Ghana and the whole world".
Ghana has so far recorded 195 confirmed cases with 5 deaths.
Kwasi Bonzoh, DCE for the Ellembelle District in the Western Region