Media must remind the public that we’re not in normal times – Oppong Nkrumah

According to him, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic means that it will take some time before things return to normal.

The Minister said this when he addressed journalists in Bolgatanga as part of his three-day tour of Northern Ghana.

He noted that the government was doing its best to make the country better and also called on all Ghanaians to help out by doing their part.

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“Government will be doing its bit, we are hoping and calling on citizens to do their bit, but that means that your colleagues in the media will also have to keep the public conversation in line with what is ongoing, and remind the public that we are not in ordinary times,” Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said.

A section of Ghanaians have been venting their anger on Twitter over the last five days in protest of poor governance and the high cost of living in the country.

Some Ghanaians are also currently bearing the brunt of an intermittent supply of power, locally referred to as ‘Dumsor’.

Meanwhile, call and data charges have also been increased due to the increase in the National Health Insurance Levy by the government.

All these have culminated in a frustrated public, with some Ghanaians taking to Twitter to vent their frustration by joining the #FixTheCountry campaign.

However, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said the Akufo-Addo government has introduced measures to lessen the economic impact of the pandemic on Ghanaians.

“That is why government has had to resort to introducing some revenue measures and cutting some expenses. So it cannot be business as usual, it is a time that calls for all of us to recognize the times in which we are, and to respond appropriately.”

“If you have studied the trajectory of where we started from in 2017 and how gradually the Ghanaian economy has improved, and saw what Covid-19 did to us in 2020, you would appreciate that the disease has hit the Ghanaian economy and indeed the African and the global economy,” he added.