Editorial

Boycott of the IPAC meeting on election 2020 by the NDC

Published

5 years ago

May 1, 2021

Presidential and parliamentary elections in the country have seen improvements from time to time because of useful inputs made by stakeholders during meetings organised by the Electoral Commission for the political parties and other stakeholders.

From opaque boxes as well as black and white photographs, the country is now able to organise elections using colour photographs of voters and transparent boxes.

As we move on with more elections, further improvements will come based on useful inputs made by political parties and other stakeholders.

When this happens, it is the country as a whole that will benefit from good election results. It is in the light of this that The Spectator and some Ghanaians find it strange and unacceptable the position of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to have boycotted the Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting recently organised by the Electoral Commission.

The meeting would have enabled the party to come out with loopholes encountered during the last elections and as well come with suggestions regarding how best to improve the situation.

The NDC made it clear that it would not have anything to do with the Electoral Commission on the matter. If this is the position adopted by the party, then it is very unfortunate and the NDC should begin to dissolve itself immediately without having anything to do with the Electoral Commission.

Elections cannot be conducted in the country without the statutory body charged with responsibility of organising them. The Electoral Commission is the election management body which cannot be avoided by any of the political parties.

This is where the NDC’s position is wrong and unacceptable.

This paper, therefore, urges the leadership of the party to rescind their decision and agree to hold meetings with the Electoral Commission together with other political parties on the way forward.

The claims made by the NDC that they won the last election could not be proved at the Supreme Court. Their star witness, Mr Asiedu Nketia, upon interrogation by the court made it clear that it was the current president, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo, who won the election with over 51 per cent.

It is, therefore, strange and difficult to understand that the NDC would now turn round and say that it would not attend any of the meetings organised by the Electoral Commission.

Peace must be made to prevail, so the NDC must change its position on this matter.

The loss of any particular election should not be seen as the end of life. What the NDC needs to do is to reorganise itself and come out with programmes that are likely to win them the mandate in the next election.

Unnecessary bickerings in the matter must be avoided for peace to reign in the political front.

Editorial

Would there ever be beds?

Published

7 days ago

February 28, 2026

WeeklySpectator

Dear Editor,

I WRITE to condemn the circumstances under which an accident victim died recently after three major hospitals reportedly turned him away due to what has earned a place in our local parlance as ‘no bed syndrome.’

Reports suggested that this motor rider who got knocked by a vehicle was taken to three major hospitals – Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital), and the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital – but they all claimed they had no beds.

But one may ask, would there ever be beds?

Such is the treatment Ghanaians endure every now and then when one visits our hospitals, especially the public ones which are run with the taxpayers’ money. Many a time when one visits the hospitals, the sight of patients admitted and lying on benches, and some sitting on chairs while receiving care, is visible to all; making one wonder why this particular motor rider was not admitted at any of the facilities, looking at his condition.

This leads to the reason for this letter, which is to bring out a perceived apathy against these motor riders, the majority of whom are referred to as ‘Okada’ riders.

Due to their recklessness on the roads and the inconvenience caused to commuters, people always speak ill about them; drivers equally have no regard for them. Every user of public transport would attest to this. These riders are blamed for every offence, even when it is obvious drivers may be at fault sometimes.

Motor riders have become like orphans on the road; people care less about them, and when they are unfortunately knocked down, no one cares about them.

This is the mischief our authorities and agencies, including the police, must seek to cure to make the road safe for all users.

These are young folks that want to make a living for themselves, and with no skill or education, ‘Okada’ rides have become their source of livelihood. They need the protection accorded drivers and commuters as well.

In other countries, some facilities have been provided to make their work safer, but in Ghana, we lack them, leaving them with no alternative than to share the available space with the cars.

What has happened should serve as a wake-up call on our authorities to aim to take a second look at the ‘Okada’ menace. With the numbers increasing, there should be a way to regulate them because no government would have the guts to ban it totally.

Drivers should be made to accept the reality that they are sharing the roads with them, and therefore the need for patience and tolerance.

For some of our hospitals, I suggest the Ministry of Health conduct their own investigations to see what patients go through in accessing medicare, which is even not for free.

Thank you, Editor, for the space.

F. Morgan, Kokrobite

Editorial

Ending the ‘No Bed’ syndrome

Published

7 days ago

February 28, 2026

WeeklySpectator

Dear Editor,

THE heartbreaking death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah in a hit-and-run accident has exposed once again the failures in our health system.

Even more painful is the fact that his father had previously donated beds to some hospitals, yet when his son needed urgent care, he was moved from one facility to another because there were ‘no beds.’

This is not only tragic but unacceptable. How can a country lose its bright young citizens simply because hospitals cannot provide emergency treatment? The ‘no bed syndrome’ has become a national disgrace, and Charles’ death is a reminder that reforms cannot wait.

Our hospitals must be equipped to handle emergencies, and accountability must be enforced. If donations are made to improve facilities, then those facilities must serve the people when it matters most. Ghana cannot afford to keep losing lives to negligence and poor infrastructure.

Charles Amissah’s death should be the turning point. Let us honor his memory by fixing the system so that no family would suffer this kind of preventable loss again.

Princess Wonovi
Accra