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Torgbui Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area has called on the Ghana Bishops Conference to impress on the government to open the country’s land borders to alleviate the suffering of his people.

He said the Aflao people, mostly traders, were negatively impacted since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic that led to the closure of the country’s borders including; the busiest border in the country, the Aflao Border.

Torgbui Fiti made this known when members of the Catholic Bishops Conference called on him as part of their ongoing 2020 Plenary Assembly underway at Keta-Akatsi Catholic Diocese, at Akatsi.

The meeting, which had the President of Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and his entourage in attendance, was to get to know the Chiefs of the Traditional Area, listen to them, appreciate and pray for them.

The Paramount Chief said government might think of “politics, democracy and vote” but what was important for him and his chiefs was the lives of the people following the border closure and noted it would be such a relief if the borders would be opened during this yuletide for people to do their petty trading and get some money to celebrate.

“My people have been suffering since March this year. First, COVID-19, lockdown then border closure. We have no factories, no schools. My people cross over the border daily to Togo to engage in trading and even to fetch water yet, the border has since been closed. When the lockdown happened in Accra and Kumasi, they provided them with social services. Why not us?

Take our cry to the government in Accra. The birth of Jesus is almost here. We’re not talking about the election, but Christmas. Let the land borders be open to enable our people trade, get money and celebrate the festival.”

Most Rev Philip Naameh, Archbishop of Tamale and President of Ghana Bishops Conference said the visit made the Conference to understand better the impact of the pandemic on the socio-economic lives of the people in the area.

He said whereas the government was thinking of controlling the pandemic, the Traditional Council was concerned about the livelihood of the people and prayed for things to return to normal early for them to get back to their usual businesses.

The Plenary Assembly, which started November 06 would end on November 13, and would be climaxed with the 25th Anniversary celebration of Keta-Akatsi Catholic Diocese on November 15.