Editorial
COVID-19 is real; let’s be up and doing
The world today has been plagued with the COVID-19 pandemic which has threatened the lives of people on earth and destroyed various forms of businesses, making it difficult for the entire world to move on peacefully as expected.
It is in the light of this that various pieces of advice have been thrown out to people in this country to know that the pandemic is not imaginary but real.
Many people have died from it as a result of negligence or accidental contact with infected persons.
The Spectator is, therefore, of the view that the time has come to intensify the campaign against the disease, so as to minimise its effect on people in this country.
By so doing, we will be enjoying life better than what can be enjoyed under the ‘atrocities’ of the pandemic.
Ghanaians and the rest of the world have been informed about contraction of the disease by Most Reverend Palmer Buckle, the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast. This man of God wants all Ghanaians in the world to know that COVID-19 is real for which reason we should all be up and doing.
Being up and doing simply means that we should know that the disease is real and can affect us when we come in contact with people who have been infected.
It is a well-known fact that Ghana has been hit with the second wave of the pandemic, leading to a surge in the positive cases being recorded.
This explains why day in day out our health professionals keep advising us to observe all the safety protocols as a way of helping to contain the disease or bringing it under control.
Even though the entire country needs to be protected from the pandemic, we are told that certain parts of the country are endangered with more positive cases than others. The Greater Accra Region leads in the case counts with the Ashanti Region coming second.
What this means for the whole country is that everyone must seriously observe the health safety protocols in order to avoid infection.
The dangers associated with contracting the disease is such that, we need to bring the disease under total control to ensure that, we are kept safe at all times. We do not have to panic, but be very conscious and avoid negligence, so as to avoid coming in contact with the disease.
This is important because even for those who have been infected and subsequently recovered from the disease, their systems have been affected adversely in one way or the other such that, some of them may not be as healthy as they used to be. Rigid observance of all the safety protocols is, therefore, non-negotiable.
Another issue that must not be overlooked is self-medication. Here, self-medication is dangerous so people should desist from that since it adds to risks of COVID-19 mobility.
The acting Director of the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC), Dr Joseph Adjetey Oliver Commey, has advised the public against self-medication and rather seek early medication to help avert the rise in the rate of fatalities from the COVID-19.
This advice must be complied with to avoid worsening situations for anyone in the country.
The time to be serious about the disease is now, so we all need to contribute our quota in ensuring that COVID-19 is really brought under control in the interest of the nation.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will administer the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in Ghana from Monday, May 4, 2026, to Monday, May 11, 2026, for both school and private candidates.
For Junior High School (JHS) students, it is a crucial evaluation that covers both core and elective areas, such as English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, French, and Ghanaian Language among others.
A total of 619,985 candidates comprising 304,273 males and 315,712 females have been registered to write this final examination for JHS students.
In order to prevent examination misconduct, which damages the legitimacy of the educational system and skews the results of student assessments, candidates are expected to follow the regulations of the examination by WAEC.
Anyone found engaging in examination misconduct will face harsh penalties under WAEC Act 719.
As a result, the Spectator is advising all candidates to be cautious of the directives and make a commitment to always act morally.
We also implore supervisors and invigilators to refrain from any wrongdoing because invigilators have found themselves in trouble in the past.
It is common to feel anxious at examination but we advise candidates not to panic during this time because if they do, their brains will not be able to recall what they have learned.
Relax and you will be able to recall the majority of the material you have studied, but if for some reason you are unable to remember do not be afraid. Leaving a question unanswered is better than receiving a sanction from WAEC due to examination misconduct.
During this time, we expect parents to help their children by providing a peaceful, distraction-free study space and making sure they eat healthily and get enough sleep.
We wish every BECE candidate all the best for the examination, including good health, mental clarity, and protection.
Dear Editor
I wish to use your esteemed platform to welcome Mr Carlos Queiroz, our new coach for our senior national male football team, the Black Stars.
We have read a lot about him and I think looking at his CV, he represents our biggest ‘catch’ in this business.
When his name came up initially, some of us doubted whether we could land him considering our scarce resources.
A coach with experiences with Real Madrid, Manchester United at club sides and national team romance with South Africa and Iran speaks volumes of what he brings to the table.
However, we must not forget that CVs don’t play football. Football is played on the pitch and it is therefore the reason why the noise about his arrival must end and watch out for what he brings to the table.
Currently, we don’t have players we could call world class. Those that comes near that label like Mohammed Kudus and Mohammed Salisu are injured.
The only player making waves in Europe at the moment is Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City.
Carlos Queiroz is not coming as a magician. He would need players who are committed and very good enough. At this moment, we should be praying and supporting him to get the best out of our players.
Directly, I want to appeal to him to take a serious look at the players in individually and access their qualities before bringing them on board.
Some of the players are very good but have just failed or struggled to perform in the Black Stars jersey. One of his task must be to break that ice.
We need nothing bust the best for the World Cup. As Ghanaians let’s support Queiroz to get the best out of the players available.
Andy Muller,
Accra
