President Akufo-Addo has expressed satisfaction with the measures government put in place to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, saying the management of the disease in the country has been one of the best in the world.
He said despite the unpreparedness of the state for the pandemic, the threat of the coronavirus could not break the economy due to government’s decisive measures which have been recognised globally.
Delivering the 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Akufo-Addo touted the achievements of his administration in the fight against the pandemic.
“We could not have been prepared for the catastrophe that hit us. Even the richest economies with the most sophisticated structures were unprepared. Maybe some of us have forgotten what the experts were predicting at the time. Our health and medical infrastructure were woefully inadequate and we would not be able to cope, there were going to be piles of dead bodies strewn across the streets of Africa.
“We’ve had our fair share of the Covid denials and conspiracy theories, but it is fair to say, Mr Speaker, that our management of the Covid-19 outbreak has been exemplary. It has been so acclaimed by the world. With the great mercies of the Almighty, we have saved lives,” he said.
He explained that “there was a general consensus that we should spend all our energy on resources on protecting lives. I remember the discussion on PPEs two years ago; nobody was asking or was interested in how much they cost.”
“I took the decision [that] we would prioritise the saving of lives and then we’d get together to rebuild our economy. Nobody imagined the devastation would be so widespread and last so long.”
“We had to learn some very hard lessons, and our belief in the need to be self-sufficient was reinforced when vaccine nationalism was played out blatantly by the rich and powerful countries,” he added.
Latest Stories
-
#JustTurned18: First-time voters critical to deciding 2024 presidential election
28 mins -
Video: EC lied that the cost per voter in 2020 was $7.7; it was $12.5 – Bright Simons
33 mins -
Former IGP passes on
42 mins -
Ejisu by-election: Kwadaso MP gave money to EC officials out of goodwill – Ahiagbah
58 mins -
Millennium City: Land owner breaks silence on fatal shooting of soldier
58 mins -
Photos of 2024 Aboakyer Festival
2 hours -
#JustTurned18: I now have an opportunity to use my thumb to bring someone into power – Excited prospective voters
2 hours -
OSP acted as a whistleblower transferring Cecilia Dapaah’s case to EOCO – Sammy Darko
2 hours -
IMF calls for tariff adjustment for energy sector cost recovery
2 hours -
Samson’s Take: Journalists, block the pretentious idiots
4 hours -
Real Madrid crowned LaLiga champions after Barcelona’s defeat at Girona
4 hours -
Daniel Otting Awuah elected SRC President of Ghana School of Law
5 hours -
Lawrence Ati-Zigi signs St. Gallen contract extension
5 hours -
We should be careful not to destroy our institutions without just cause – Serebour Quaicoe
5 hours -
Cecilia Dapaah’s case: EOCO hasn’t requested FBI report – Office of the Special Prosecutor
7 hours