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The Ashanti Regional Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Samuel Pyne says the organizers of the funeral made sure all COVID-19 protocols were observed to ensure the safety of all.
 
He was responding to social media claims and pressure group, OccupyGhana's concern about the disregard for COVID-19 safety protocols at the funeral of former Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie alias Sir John.
 
In a statement dated Sunday, June 6, 2021, the group expressed worry that some government officials also joined to flout COVID-19 protocols instituted to help contain the spread of the coronavirus disease in Ghana.
 
OccupyGhana said that move was likely to embolden several people to treat COVID-19 protocols with disdain and contempt.
 
“This behaviour of people in a position to know better is deeply worrying, and while we can only pray that it doesn’t happen, if in weeks this event turns out to be a super spreader event with more deaths and hospitalisations, the government will have no one but itself to blame for its inability and unwillingness to show a better example,” the statement said.
 
But Samuel Pyne in an interview with NEAT FM’s morning show ‘Ghana Montie’ told host Kwesi Aboagye that,
“Sir John's funeral wasn’t the only funeral organized with such a crowd. Other occasions have gone on elsewhere with a similar crowd, let’s talk about that too".