STMA schools comply with President's directives

By Mildred Siabi-Mensah, Olivia Ayerh and Abdul Nasulu, GNA 

Takoradi, March 16, GNA - Educational institutions within the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis have observed the order from the President to shutdown such facilities until further notice.

The President at 10.00PM yesterday announced that schools be closed down in the wake of the deadly Virus that have gained global attention.

A visit by GNA to some schools in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis, revealed that while the message was heard and circulated in real time, others came to school before they had the information and therefore, had to return home.

Private Schools such as the Christ the King Preparatory school, Ponty International, Queen of Peace Academy, St John Paul II, among others had their doors shut at the time of the visit.

Other government schools like Bishop Essuah Catholic school, Reverend Apiki, SDA school, the Anglican and Presbyterian schools had also locked their doors during the visit.

The situation was quite different at the various senior high schools that the team visited.

While some students told the team they heard the news and needed clarification from school authorities, others were in total darkness with regards to the Directive from the President.

Master Elijah Yeboah of the Takoradi Technical Institute where many of the students were seen trouping out from the school premises, said "for me, I heard the news but needed to come to school to ascertain real enforcement".

Others told the news team that they never heard of the directive and were coming to school for their normal classes.

An obviously devastated parents who did not have money to transport her daughter from Bolga to Takoradi also lamented, "I had to pay 135 cedis only last week to send her to school, only to receive a call from her that their dormitories have been closed and so she needed money for transport back home...where do I raise money again from," she said with tears dropping from her eyes.

Also at the Ghana Secondary Technical School, some students pleaded with the government to rather allow them to stay in their dormitories and learn rather than go home, which would greatly affect their academic work as gold track students.

"I think, we should have been provided with personal protective apparels than us going home to be rather exposed," Poku Asante added.

Meanwhile, Sanitizers are nowhere to be found on the market with the few going at high prices and making the less privileged unable to patronize for protection.

The banks visited had made some provisions for preventive purposes, Ghana Commercial Bank had given notice to its customers that their ATM service would be temporarily shut down and that they should use G-Money or other alternative channels for all their transactions.

At the All Needs Supermarket in Takoradi, the authorities had written boldly on the doors, "please use your elbows to open".

At the Market Circle in Takoradi, some traders were seen wearing gloves with others wearing nose masks.

The General atmosphere at the market was calm with traders displaying their goods for sale and people going about businesses.

Others suggested the total closure of the Airport and other entry points as a key measure in handling the virus.

So far, Ghana has recorded six imported cases, which made it imperative for the needed precautionary measures to avoid further spread.

GNA

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