Like previous occasions, he first communicated his mood and thoughts through the apparel even before revealing in his speech Ghana’s situation and the plans for the battle.
“Fellow Ghanaians, finally the Prez. Nana Addo has worn the fabric everyone is expecting him to wear. Afi Bi Ye San [some years come with trials/crisis]. This year is the right time for wearing this fabric. The President just sending an explanatory message to us. Let’s be guided,” a tweep known for having a background in artistry tweeted, Sunday.
Coronavirus has infected over 3 million people and killed more than 205,000 worldwide.
Announcing that the country had completed the analysis of another thirty two thousand, and thirty one (32,031) samples, bringing the number of tests from sixty-eight thousand, five hundred and ninety-one (68,591) to one hundred thousand, six hundred and twenty two (100,622), the president said the total number of confirmed infections in Ghana have gone from one thousand and forty-two (1,042), to one thousand, five hundred and fifty (1,550).
“Our recoveries are now one hundred and fifty-five (155), and deaths eleven (11). The two (2) new cases of deaths, like the other nine (9), are all of persons with underlying health issues, what the doctors call comorbidity,” he added.
“We are still very much in unchartered territory, and, clearly, we still have some way to go towards ridding ourselves of the virus. The truth is that this will be a long war, broken up into several battles,” the president admitted.
Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta had earlier said Ghana has begun experiencing slowdown in the various sectors of the economy as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The slowdown he explained will affect economic growth, and that the impact of the coronavirus menace on the real sector shows that the 2020 projected real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth could decline by 4.2 percent.
Few days ago, Mr. Ofori-Atta said it will take the Ghanaian economy three years to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
Previous outfits
On the night he declared restrictions on movement in some parts of the country as part of drastic measures to limit and stop the importation of Coronavirus, contain its spread, provide adequate care for the sick and limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life, the president wore a fabric of a drop of tears which suggested he was grieving with the populace.
Prior to this, he donned the ‘ani bre a enso gya’ cloth – to wit, red eyes can’t spark flames - which symbolizes patience, self-control and discipline in his 3rd address to the nation on the country’s preparedness to the fight the pandemic. On that night, he announced, among others, the closure of the country’s borders to human traffic for two weeks.
During his 7th address, President Akufo-Addo, among others, announced some reliefs for Ghanaians especially health workers.
Among others, he mentioned that the government will absorb the water bills for all Ghanaians for April, May and June; roll out a soft loan scheme up to a total of six hundred million cedis (GH¢600 million), which will have a one-year moratorium and two-year repayment period for micro, small and medium scale businesses.
An insurance package, he said “with an assured sum of three hundred and fifty thousand cedis (GH¢350,000) for each health personnel and allied professional at the forefront of the fight, has been put in place, with a daily allowance of one hundred and fifty cedis (GH¢150) being paid to contact tracers.”
The dress he wore on the night, according to the tweep was ‘Yaw Donkor’.
“President Akufo-Addo is wearing Yaw Donkor [A Servant]. From the expression: se akoa som som pa a wotumi di akonnwa (A good servant rise to become a king). Nana Addo is a good servant and he is inspiring empowerment,” the tweet read.
President Nana Akufo-Addo during the 8th address