Lockdown: Stay home or be jailed for five years- MP

The Member of Parliament for Ofinso South Constituency and the Chairman for Parliamentary Select Committee on legal and Constitutional Affairs Hon Ben Abdella Banda has said any person who flouts the lockdown measures risk going to jail for five years.

According to him , the minimum punishment for offenders who would be found guilty in accordance with the passage of the imposition Ristriction Law is 1000, penalty unit which is around 60,000 cedis.

Hon Ben Abdella Banda said this when he donated Personal Protective Equipments worth 87,000 cedis to his constituents for onward distribution to the health facilities on Sunday April 12, 2020.

He added that individuals could also face five years imprisonment if they go contrary to the measures by the president.

Imposition of Restrictions Bill

The Parliament of Ghana on March 20, 2020 passed Imposition of Restrictions Bill 2020 to give legal backing for the imposition of restrictions on persons in the event of disaster or emergency for public safety.

The Bill which is apparent reaction to the spread of the novel coronavirus provides a legal framework do expeditious interventions by the Government in the event of unforseen emergencies.

The MP’s warning

The Chairman for Parliamentary Select Committee on legal and Constitutional Affairs in an interview with OTEC News has emphasized that the current lockdown is part of efforts by government to contain the spread of the COVID -19 pandemic and called on all to abide by it.

He warned that Ghana as a country can not stand aloof for her citizens to die in mass numbers before pragmatic measures are put in place to .salvage the situation.

He asserted,” we have to do our best to stay at home for sometime in order not to replicate the US or Italy situation in Ghana. The government can’t be complement or reactive to the COVUD-19 scourge and fo that matter the every measures are for our own good.”

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com