MP for Ketu South Constituency in the Volta Region, Abla Dzifa Gomashie
Two female Members of Parliament (MPs) whose constituencies stretch to Ghana’s borders with neighbouring Togo and Ivory Coast are billed to stage demonstrations against the closure of Ghana’s land borders due to COVID-19.
MPs for Ketu South Constituency in the Volta Region, Abla Dzifa Gomashie and that of Jomoro in the Western Region, Dorcas Affo-Teffey will be protesting.
While the Jomoro MP is to lead her people for the demonstration on Thursday, August 26, 2021, at the border town, Elubo, that of Ketu South is scheduled to happen at Aflao Denu Junction on Friday, August 27, 2021.
The aim of these demonstrations is to put pressure on the government to re-open the land borders which were closed as a result of the pandemic.
On Sunday, March 22, 2020, President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the closure of the country’s borders aimed at limiting the spread of the coronavirus disease in the country.
The country was, thus, closed to all but returning Ghanaians and foreign nationals with Ghanaian residence permits. Over a year after the closure, air borders have since been re-opened but the land borders remain closed, a situation the MPs explain is affecting the lives of their constituents.
Background
It would be recalled that Onua News in the month of April 2021 visited the Elubo enclave to ascertain the impact of the closure of the land border.
The visit revealed that economic activities in and around the western border town of Elubo were virtually dead as a result of the closure of the Ghana-Ivory Coast border since March 2020.
Transport sector business, trading activities between the local indigenes and their neighbours from Ivory Coast, food vending, cloth and shoe businesses have all collapsed virtually due to the border closure over a year ago.
Some hotels had been shut because those operating had less patronage.
Some indigenes had fled to seek business refuge elsewhere while the rest have also resorted to begging for alms before they can eat.
Elubo was turning into a ‘ghost’ town since the once vibrant business town is now virtually empty.
The two demonstrations are expected to put pressure on the government to put measures in place just as it did for the ports and airport borders before the reopening.