Chief of Staff receives UN representative
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for the United Nations Mission on Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), Mr Anthony Banburg, has lauded President John Mahama and the government for the lead role Ghana is playing in handling the Ebola outbreak in parts of West Africa.
In particular, he expressed appreciation to the government and the President whose leadership, he said, had inspired many around the world to join hands in fighting the further spread of the Ebola disease which had claimed more than 3,000 lives.
Mr Banburg, who led a delegation from the UNMEER to call on the Chief of Staff, Mr Proper Bani, at the Flagstaff House in Accra last Tuesday, said the “UN is grateful to Ghana for establishing the UNMEER in Accra that would provide strategic direction in terms of providing support.”
UN Role
The UN offered to assist Ghana to prevent the Ebola disease from spreading into the country, following President Mahama’s acceptance of a request from the UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, for the country to be used as a logistics base for international flights to affected countries.
Consequently, the UN offered to assist the country to review and strengthen its Ebola preparedness in order not to suffer unduly by exposing itself to the disease.
Mr Banburg said the UN would continue to play an important role as part of an international coalition to fight Ebola and that the UNMEER would be working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other organisations to ensure that the disease did not spread to other nations.
Chief of Staff
For his part, the Chief of Staff, Mr Prosper Bani, expressed appreciation for the decision by the UN to use Ghana as the UNMEER and expressed the government’s resolve to cooperate with the UN team in the execution of its task.
While asking the officials to abide by the laws of Ghana, Mr Bani urged them to look beyond the Ebola affected countries by coordinating with other non-affected countries to put in place measures against any possible spread of the virus.
The Chief of Staff underscored the need for the UNMEER to engage in constant communication with the government to put out information that would not create unnecessary fear and panic among the people.
Mr Bani said much as the government was interested in benefiting from whatever package that came with Ghana’s position as a hub for Ebola logistical support, President John Mahama, as the ECOWAS Chairman, was committed to ensuring that the Ebola disease was contained.
Also in the meeting were the Minister of the Interior, Mr Mark Woyongo; the Transport Minister, Ms Dzifa Aku Attivor, the Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane-Boamah; the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Martin Quartey and the Health Minister, Dr Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah.
Why the UN move
A statement from the Flagstaff House Communications Bureau, copied to the Daily Graphic earlier in the day, had said “the United Nations and Ghana will work closely to put in place appropriate screening and prevention measures to avoid any adverse effects on Ghana as a result of the operations of the Logistics Centre.”
The agreement reached between President Mahama and the UN boss, according to the statement, meant, “the UN and other international organisations will use Accra as a centre for airlifting supplies and personnel to the most affected countries - Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Writer’s email: sebastian.syme@graphic.com.gh
