A second demonstration against the closure of land borders in Ghana due to the Covid-19 is set to take place at Jomoro in the Western Region on Thursday, September 2.
This would be the second of the two female Members of Parliament (MPs) whose constituencies stretch to Ghana’s borders with neighbouring countries and being affected by the closure of the borders.
On Friday, August 27, the MP for Ketu South Constituency in the Volta Region, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, led her constituents and other well meaning Ghanaians to demonstrate against the closure of tre borders.
MP for Jomoro Constituency in the Western Region Dorcas Affo-Teffey has scheduled to lead her constituents on Thursday for a similar demonstration.
Dubbed ‘Open Our Land Borders Now!’, the demonstration is scheduled to begin from Eagle Junction to Elubo Border at 7am on Thursday.
The aim of these demonstrations is to put pressure on the government to re-open the land borders which were closed in March, 2020 as a result of the pandemic.
Special Aide to the Jomoro MP Emmanuel Benle has confirmed that all is set for the demonstration.
On Sunday, March 22, 2020, President Nana Akufo-Addo announced the closure of the country’s borders in order to limit the spread of the coronavirus disease in the country.
The borders were, 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 FM 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 to no 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.
By Kweku Antwi-Otoo|3news.com|Ghana