A minister of State is among prominent Ghanaians who were unable able to return into the country following the closure of the country’s borders to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus.
According to Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the minister whose name he refused to mention, travelled out of the country for the purposes of government business but could not arrive before the boarders were closed.
“Do you know there is a minister left behind our border?” he quizzed in response to a question on Accra-based Peace Fm on why government is refusing to open the borders for stranded Ghanaians elsewhere to return home.
The Ofoase-Ayeribi lawmaker shared in the frustration of the stranded persons but disclosed that nothing can be done about their plight since it is a presidential directive backed by an Executive Instrument (EI).
“We have to do that to protect everyone. Therefore, we understand what our brothers are saying but because of our safety, boarders are closed”, he said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on March 22, 2020 directed the closure of all borders in Ghana — land, sea and air — to human traffic for the next two weeks.
On Saturday, April 4, 2020 the President Akufo-Addo by a new executive instrument, EI 66, extended the closure of Ghana’s borders by another two weeks effective midnight tomorrow April 5 and has since extended it.
Ghanaian Rapper Sarkodie Pappy Kojo, Teephlow and D Black are currently not in the country because they missed the deadline to return before the closure of the borders announced by the President.
By this all affected persons including Sarkodie must wait till the fight against pandemic is dealt with.
It would be recalled that, Sarkodie few weeks after the government closed boarders of Ghana pleaded with President Akufo-Addo to temper justice with mercy and allow him back home.