Editorial
Happy 67th anniversary to all Ghanaians!
Ghana will celebrate its 67th anniversary of independence from British colonial rule on March 6, which falls on a Wednesday.
Our former leaders battled for our independence under the leadership of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana.
After a protracted struggle for independence, Ghana became the first nation in Sub-Saharan Africa to be free of British colonial rule; as a result, she celebrates her Independence Day on March 6 every year to honour this wonderful accomplishment.
A person who lives to be sixty-seven is no minor accomplishment; one would assume that at this age, they have experienced many accomplishments, and the same is true for our country, Ghana.
Despite the challenges, our country has undoubtedly made great progress in a number of areas, including the arts and entertainment, travel, tourism, fashion, health, and education among others.
Rich natural resources that have been exploited for profit, including gold, diamonds, bauxite, and manganese, are also a blessing for Ghana.
Ghana should be proud of its 67 years of independence as, in spite of obstacles, we have made significant progress toward democratisation from military dictatorship.
The Eastern Regional Capital, Koforidua, is getting ready to hold this year’s national independence celebration with the theme “Our Democracy, Our Pride.”
His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the president of Ghana, is slated to attend the event together with other dignitaries.
Ghanaians will celebrate in their traditional attire, particularly kente, to highlight their rich cultural heritage to the world.
Interesting events to mark the anniversary will be held across the nation, including fun fairs, street jams, parties, and many more.
In order to ensure a seamless, tranquil, and prosperous celebration, the Spectator exhorts all participants to celebrate modestly and to act in love and unity.
We hope that Koforidua will play home to an extraordinary and historic occasion that will proudly present Ghana’s accomplishments and rich cultural heritage to the world, which will undoubtedly contribute to the growth of the local economy.
We pray that God will bless our homeland Ghana and make it great and strong.
On this occasion of Ghana’s 67th independence celebration the Spectator wishes all Ghanaians a happy anniversary.
In addition to the severe flooding that Accra is already experiencing a major sanitation crisis is imminent as the Kpone dump approaches closure.
Currently, there are now just two significant disposal sites in the area: the Adepa dumpsite in the Ga West Municipal Assembly, which is close to Amasaman, and the Kpone Waste Landfill.
Inquiries so far, revealed that the Kpone site is almost at capacity and will likely close in the next six months. As a result, waste is accumulating at local markets and municipal collection points throughout the capital.
The situation has been made worse by the recent terrible floods, and immediate action is required to prevent the impending crisis.
The fundamental issue is that accumulating uncollected waste during rainy seasons poses significant threats to public health, including the possibility of cholera, typhoid, and malaria outbreaks.
Subsequent investigations showed that the Kpone plant, which was initially built to manage 500 tonnes of waste per day, has been handling almost twice that much, shortening its lifespan.
Many towns’ waste collection operations have been badly impacted by this looming shutdown, and the fact that Accra has few disposal choices is even more disturbing.
Now, waste collection vehicles face abnormally long queues at the Kpone site, and residents complain that most of the tricycles, referred to as “Aboboyaa,” leave rubbish uncollected in residential and commercial areas.
Although the Zoompak waste transfer station was authorised by the government to reopen in order to help manage daily waste volumes, it is still unable to handle the enormous volumes of waste generated every day.
According to Dr. Peter Kwesi Dagadu, Managing Director of the Landfills Company Limited, managing the capital’s expanding waste burden has become extremely difficult due to the scarcity of disposal facilities, especially in light of the city’s fast population increase and rising waste production.
As a result, the situation has put a great deal of strain on the infrastructure already in place and jeopardizes attempts to keep Accra’s waste management system sustainable and effective.
The Spectator agrees with him that new infrastructure for disposing of waste is desperately needed, as a change to a more environmentally friendly waste management techniques.
It is admirable that he suggests Ghana adopt recycling and garbage recovery as a long-term solution to the nation’s sanitation problems.
We therefore, implore the government to support this recycling objective by enacting strict laws, regulations, investments, and enforcement measures to enhance waste management nationwide.
In order to address the waste problem as quickly as possible, everyone must be involved, including private waste management companies, individuals, and households.
Dear Editor,
I wish to express concern over the allegations that some officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) demanded money from players before they are selected for national teams.
If these allegations are true, then, they threaten fairness and integrity in Ghana football.
Just as is done in other countries, selection into any national team should be based solely on merit -talent, discipline, hard work and performance, not on a player’s ability to pay money.
Such practices, if allowed to continue, will discourage many talented but less privileged players from pursuing their dreams. It will also damage the reputation of the GFA and reduce public confidence in the country’s football administration.
Those reports are quite unfortunate but some of us want to believe in the response issued by the FA but would also advise the GFA to conduct some investigation, because like it is often said, there is no smoke without fire.
If it means an individual is going about making such demands on the blind side of the FA, such an investigation can expose the person.
I therefore urge the GFA to investigate these allegations thoroughly and transparently. Any official found guilty should face the appropriate sanctions. At the same time, individuals making the allegations should provide credible evidence so the truth can be established.
Ghanaian football belongs to all of us, and we must protect its integrity by ensuring that merit, transparency and accountability guide player selection.
From John Boateng,
Mamprobi
