SPEECH: John Mahama addresses Ghanaians at Friday Muslim Prayers

Let me thank you all, very much, for making the time to join us from all over the country and beyond for today’s Friday prayers. This is coming just two days after the entire country fasted and prayed for the Almighty God and Allah’s intervention as our country goes through this challenge with the coronavirus pandemic. 

For us in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the millions of sympathisers and supporters across the country, we are very happy to be joining in this national effort towards seeking God’s presence and intervention. 

Last Sunday, from this very venue, I hosted our Christian brothers and sisters. And I wish to thank my fathers, the National Chief Imam, Maulvi Bin Salih, Sheikh Umar, and all of you who joined us today for your time, and the commitment to a national cause.  

As I said to the nation on Sunday, these are not normal times, not only for us Ghanaians, but for all of the people around the world. But my fellow Ghanaians, God rules in the affairs of men and women. 

When you read Quran Chapter 40 vrs 60; Suuratul Ghaafir; Allah says: Call on me and I will respond. So we are here today, having gone through our Fast, to seek for Allah's mercy. But as I said last Sunday, even as we pray, we must act! 

There is a story in the Hadith where a gentleman got down from his camel and did not tie it. The Holy Prophet (SAW) asked him why he didn't tie the animal and he said, I have Allah watching over it for me. Then the Prophet told him, go and tie the animal first before seeking the help of Allah. This Hadith teaches us to pray but at the same time work and apply common sense in whatever we do. 

The increasing number of confirmed cases – 136 as of this morning – and the fear being expressed by our medical personnel of possible community-spread has led to a sense of panic among many of our people. 

That is understandable, but I want to encourage us in this situation to remain calm as the authorities think through the best means to contain this disease.

As has been outlined by our COVID Technical Team in its engagements, in addition to a concerted effort to provide regular, accurate and timely information, government must work extra hard to ensure the implementation of adequate community mitigation measures. 

We also need to urgently strengthen the public health management procedures, and provide the needed resources and logistics for managing the pandemic. This is critical if our frontline healthcare workers are to have the confidence to continue to battle the disease.

It is important for the ECOWAS to arrange an urgent teleconference of our Heads of State to coordinate a subregion-wide response to the COVID-19 disease. This might include restriction of movement between our countries. Because what use will it be to clear our nation of the disease, and have pools of infection in our neighbouring countries?

As I said earlier, it is also urgent for the Minister for Finance to brief Parliament on the potential impact on the economy of this COVID-19 and the impact it is having on global supply chains and trade. Flowing from this briefing, necessary appropriations must be made to secure the necessary logistics and mount a robust public awareness campaign on how to prevent the spread of the disease. 

The Ministry of Finance will need to subsequently present a budget review to Parliament outlining Government's new spending priorities in the light of the recent developments. Additionally, an economic package that is administered transparently, without the usual parochial and partisan considerations, would be necessary to cushion Ghanaian businesses and SMEs. Clearly businesses, especially in the tourism and hospitality sector, are already struggling quite early into this pandemic.

As we have seen from around the world, governments are outdooring bold steps and initiatives to protect their economies. Our economy does not exist in isolation.

Let us continue to remind ourselves as individuals, business persons, religious leaders, religious organisations, political actors and government that we have a country to protect, we have our fellow Ghanaians to protect. We all have a role to play, not just government. In these times the best remedy to stopping the spread and from getting infected is staying home if you have nothing essential doing out of home. 

Let’s heed the call to stay at home, avoid crowded places and remember to wash your hands with soap and under running water as frequently as you can. Continue to maintain a safe distance from any person who is coughing or sneezing, or from anyone showing any other symptoms of a cold or flu. 

Also, cover your own mouth and nose with a tissue if you have to cough or sneeze. It is important that you discard the tissue properly and wash your hands immediately. Maintain the appropriate social distance with other people of at least 1.5 metres.

As the Prophet Mohammed always admonishes, this is the time for us to show compassion to one another. 
My brothers and sisters, one of the important takeaways from the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic is the need for a strong healthcare system for our country. Access to healthcare is a human right, and it is that viewpoint that influenced the rapid and massive expansion of health infrastructure we commenced. 

The planned increase in the number of hospital beds, supply of medical equipment and building more facilities were in line with a vision to expand access to quality health care across the country.

My major learning from this pandemic, therefore, is why we must continue our focus on the health sector, developing telemedicine tools to augment the provision of modern and well-equipped health facilities. We must construct many more CHPS compounds, health posts, provide each district with a modern health facility, establish Regional Hospitals in the new regions and aggressively expand facilities in existing ones. 

At the 37 Military Hospital here in Accra, we must make use of available land to expand the hospital, doubling the existing number of beds, and establish an Infectious Diseases Centre to prepare us to adequately tackle developments like COVID-19.  

We must fully open existing completed but abandoned health facilities like the UGMC, Bank Hospital, Maritime Hospital etc. We must also fast track the completion of work on the 2nd Military Hospital at Aferi in the Ashanti Region, and the many other health infrastructure projects abandoned across the country. 

These will make it easier for every Ghanaian to access quality healthcare. 

Let me thank you once again for joining the Friday Prayers and to invite us all to do our best to help stop the spread of COVID-19. 

May Allah bless us all.