Its happened, Ghana is officially on lock down! After an address delivered by President Nana Akufo Addo on 27 Mar. 2020 because of the COVID19 pandemic he officially declared a lock down. Ghana has seventy-eight confirmed cases and three fatalities as of this writing not as many as other countries but all lives are important none-the-less. Everywhere upon the streets of Accra there is stillness. People are staying home or traveling to their native villages.

Many Ghanaians including expats like myself were already on a self imposed lock down, while many others, street peddlers, drivers, and businesses were still in full operation but using precautions. Two days ago, Ghana was in a frenzy the traffic was jammed, and cars idled in lines, waiting for traffic to move. Cars honking and the voices of people trying to buy their last minute items before the stores closed could be heard everywhere. People stood a foot apart from each other while standing in single-file lines outside of shop fronts only being let in five or six at a time. Today, you wouldn’t know it to look at it, because the streets are clear and echo the silence of a country in full compliance with their Presidents edict.

It was good to see that Ghana was doing what would be expected in such a timely and expedient manner. On 27 Mar 2020 Ghanaian President Nana Akufo Addo expressed in a very eloquent and prolific speech how this virus is not something to play with, you could tell that this lock down had been carefully considered by him, and the lives of the citizens of Ghana were his utmost and sincere concern, when he said,

“As I have said before, all that Government is doing is intended to achieve five (5) key objectives – limit and stop the importation of the virus; contain its spread; provide adequate care for the sick; limit the impact of the virus on social and economic life; and inspire the expansion of our domestic capability and deepen our self-reliance.” –President Nana Akufo Addo For his full speech read here

I went out to buy groceries and paper products and shopped for food myself. I noticed that prices were raised on particular items to capitalize on the state of emergency situation we are in but what can you do when you need toilet paper? Right?

When I awoke the next day to find that the rules of exit and entry at the estate in which I live had also changed. A WhatsApp group that I wasn’t apart of sent a statement out which denies access to all non-residents of the estate without prior written notice to the Administration of their visit. When Samuel showed up the following day the guards denied him entrance and told me I would need to get a visitor card. I was floored.

Now each time I come or go I have to announce my departure and arrival or that of each one of my guest. Very inconvenient. No longer feeling at home here. Hopefully, I will be moving very soon. Overall, I really have enjoyed living in this estate because of the security but this added security is a bit too much. Time to move.

Photo and video credit Samuel Abankwah