President Akufo-Addo believes it is not advisable to reopen land borders until health experts are confident that doing so will not cause issues for the country.
According to him, the country is still not out of the woods in terms of the Covid-19 epidemic, so reopening land borders would be fraught with danger and problems. This entails, among other things, regulating human interaction, testing, and putting in place health precautions.
President Akufo-Addo stated during a radio interview in the Western Region that Ghana was designated one of the finest nations in terms of Covid-19 control because to some of the substantial measures implemented, such as border closures.
“The land boundaries offer a different type of problem,” President Akufo-Addo stated. You have unauthorised entry points into the nation, which is tough to regulate. It is unlikely that the border testing system can be as stringent as it is at Kotoka.”
“There are many of our people that do this on a regular basis [at land borders], how are we going to test individuals?” We must use caution until we are confident that we have complete control over it.”
He said that the airports can function because a first-rate infrastructure is in place to govern movement and interactions, among other things.
He added that the airport procedures allow for the control of persons entering and exiting the nation, as well as the prevention of scenarios that might increase the country’s Covid-19 instances.
President Akufo-remark Addo’s came after hundreds of people of Elubo in Ghana’s Western Region protested the continuing closure of the Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire border.
They are calling for the border to be reopened in order to restore the livelihoods of the inhabitants of the town and its adjacent towns.
Members of the ‘Open Our Land Border Now’ rally, clothed in red and black clothing, were seen shouting war songs and carrying banners, hoping that the government would heed their demand.
As part of steps to combat the spread of the Covid-19 virus, President Akufo-Addo ordered the closing of land borders in March 2020.
However, more than a year and a half after the closure, the residents of Elubo believe the relocation has outlived its usefulness.
President Akufo-Addo, on the other hand, feels that reopening the land borders will cause a slew of issues.
“Are you going to require that everyone who comes [across the border and back] be immunized? Will you keep trying to enforce it? “How many of our folks have we been able to immunize?”
The President begged with the people to be patient, noting that the epidemic had a negative impact on many people across the country, not just them.
However, until the government is able to eliminate the difficulties that may arise as a result of reopening the border, he believes it is safe to keep it closed.