A Krobo youth group, Kloma Hengme is mounting pressure on the Upper Manya Krobo District Director of Health Services, Madam Esther Dua Oyinka, to retract and apologise to Krobos over her Covid-19 vaccination comment.
Speaking to The Chronicle in an exclusive interview, the Chairman for Kloma Hengme, Mr. Tamatey Otu, said Krobos have become subjects for ridicule, following the district director’s claim that they are not taking the Covid-19 jab because of the claim that it would make them vote for the New Patriotic Party in the 2024 elections.
The chairman for Kloma Hengme, argued that “as a District Director of Health, her public statements should be backed with science and data, but I am not sure she can produce any data on this unfortunate statement she has made.
“We in Kloma Hengme want her to retract the statement and apologise to the Krobo people for the public disgrace she has caused us. We have given her good hospitality since she assumed duty and the last thing she must do is to defame us”.
The Upper Manya Krobo District Health directorate recently lamented that out of the estimated 50,104 people in the district expected to be vaccinated by the end of this year, only 820 had fully been vaccinated since the inception of the vaccination exercise. About 282 persons who took the first jab are yet to take the second dose.
According to the District Health Director, Esther Dua Oyinka, some of the people have been misinformed that the ruling party intends using the vaccination to change the minds of the electorate to vote for it in the 2024 elections.
“Some of the rumors are that if you are a man and you take the vaccine, you will become impotent, which is false. Others are saying if you are a lady, you will cease menstruation and you cannot give birth any longer.
“Others say if you take it, you are going to die. It will push you to your early grave because you will experience some funny signs and symptoms in your body. Even some are saying it is the government that has put in certain things to make up for the vaccine to vaccinate them, so that it will change their minds from voting for any other party except the sitting party,” She allegedly lamented.
Responding to the comment which was carried by the media and has received varied reactions on social media, President Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, dismissed this perception during his address to the Nation.
“Let me state, as clearly as I can that, the vaccines are safe. They will not harm you. They will protect you and your family. Contrary to the mischief being peddled by some that getting vaccinated will cause you to vote for the NPP in the 2024 elections, if you do not want to”.
Chairman of Kloma Hengme group, Tamatey Otu, told this reporter that due to her (Health Director) failure to apologise, now a whole president is referring to it.
Meanwhile, the Assembly Members in Upper Manya Krobo District in the Eastern region have appealed to residents to make themselves available to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
Speaking on behalf of the 33 assembly members, the Presiding Member for the Assembly, Eric Tettey, said turnout for the inoculation has not been encouraging and has, therefore, assured
residents that the vaccine is safe and has the efficacy to protect them from the deadly Covid-19 virus.
