The Executive Director of Millennium Promise Alliance (MPA), Chief Nathaniel Ebo Nsarko, has charged all the presidential candidates of the various political parties to warn their followers not to wear branded face mask to any of the polling stations across the country to cast their vote.
Leadership, he said, is by example, stressing that all candidates in the December 7th Presidential and Parliamentary elections must first demonstrate by adhering to the rules governing the conduct of the polls for their followers to follow suit.
“To display a sign of good leadership worth being voted for, please encourage your followers not to go to the polling centers in party colored nose masks. This is only proper and an exemplary sign of peace loving leader”, he noted.
Mr. Nsarko made this observation when his outfit (MPA) on Saturday, December 5, 2020, made a donation of 8,000 pieces of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Greater Accra Regional Directorate of the Electoral Commission (EC) through the Ghana Health Service.
The gesture was to compliment efforts by the government and the election management body to further prevent the spread of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) as the country goes to the polls on Monday, December 7th, to elect a President and 275 parliamentarians to govern the West African nation for the next four years.
The MPA boss commenting further, said the 2020 general election is anticipated to be a highly contentious election where election officials must uphold both public health interests and citizens’ constitutional voting rights.
He strongly believes that despite the COVID-19 in Ghana, turnout at the polls on Election Day will remain high, hence, the donation of the PPE to restrain voters from contracting the virus.
“Lines may appear longer due to social distancing protocols and enhanced cleaning and disinfecting verification machines. As part of preparations for the elections, Millennium Promise Alliance is providing 8,000 assorted Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Greater Accra Regional Office of the Electoral Commission. The donation is presented through the Ghana Health Service. As a consumable item, there is always the need for adequate supply of PPEs to ensure that those at the frontlines of the pandemic are protected”, he said.
He added “With the anticipated queues of voters during the voting period, there is a need to ensure that adequate preparations are made for the various stakeholders involved in the smooth running of the elections: EC officials, security agencies, health workers, domestic and international election observers, political parties, voters etc. That is the reason MPA is providing this donation to complement the efforts of the government ahead of the December 7th 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections. We know that despite the news of COVID-19 vaccines at the international level, it will take some time for us to have and use it here. Therefore, our best weapons against the pandemic remain strict observance of preventive measures”.
Mr. Nsarko therefore entreated voters to strictly abide the COVID-19 preventive measures such as physical distancing, use of face masks and practice of hand hygiene.
That notwithstanding, he cautioned politicians against mimicking happenings in the United States of America (USA) and maintain the country’s unique standards over the years as a shining example not only in Africa but the world as have been the case over the years.
