Editorial
Avoiding crisis on the labour front
Productivity depends on employers and employees but government also has a special role to play since it employs a sizeable number of people in the country.
This calls for industrial peace on the part of each of the partners, so as to ensure that appropriate steps are taken to initiate productive work in all parts of the country.
Without peace, not much can be achieved. This is because if disturbances emerge on the labour front, as a result of mistrust there would be no or low productivity and disappointment on the part of everybody.
If this is the case, then the partners involved — government, labour and employers — must collaborate with one another to see to it that what is expected is carried out in an atmosphere of trust and dependability.
It takes resources, which are limited anyway, to provide for the needs of labour, so we expect workers to try to understand their employers when things go tough.
We have been experiencing strikes from certain categories of workers mainly University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) over certain demands from government.
The Spectator is, therefore, appealing to the parties involved including Senior Staff Association on our university campuses to understand that the laws in the country must be obeyed, while these negotiations go on.
At the same time, government and other employers should also be prepared to meet the other partners and negotiate without inflaming passion and showing respect to each of the parties, for peace to prevail.
If this is done, the nation will be guaranteed an industrial peace and Ghana will be the winner. Also, no group of people should allow themselves to be influenced by any political interest group for their selfish ends.
Ghana is a noble country which must be supported by all and sundry, so that the supreme interest of the country is guaranteed at all times.
Editorial
Parents urged to take responsibility for sex education
Dr. Francis Wuobar, a Gynaecologist at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua has urged parents to take the lead in providing sex education to their children, stressing that they were in the best position to guide them through the changes of adolescence.
According to him, sex education remained a taboo subject in most Ghanaian homes, a culture that must change to prevent children from seeking misleading information elsewhere.
“With the evolving nature of society and technological advancements, today’s children will either learn about sex on the internet or from their peers, who may offer wrong advice,” he cautioned.
Dr. Wuobar noted that the health system and society often concentrate on the reproductive stage of life, neglecting the adolescent and menopausal phases.
“When a woman reaches the reproductive period and gets pregnant, everyone rallies around her. But before that stage, during adolescence, there is little attention and guidance, which has contributed to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy,” he explained.
He observed that many adolescents lack access to counseling and adolescent clinics, creating a vacuum that forces them to explore on their own.
“The answers they seek, adults and parents are not willing to provide. Their peers, who are equally uninformed, become their only source of advice. This exploration is one of the major contributors to teenage pregnancy,” he said.
Dr. Wuobar therefore called on parents to create open and confidential spaces for discussion, where children can freely ask questions about sex, puberty, and relationships.
He emphasized that parents must help adolescents understand the consequences of unprotected sex, the changes they go through, and what choices were right or wrong.
“Today’s generation is curious and asks questions, unlike in the past when children were silent. Parents should not rebuke them but rather engage them seriously and guide them through this turbulent stage,” he advised.
He further appealed to the health sector to establish more adolescent clinics across the country to give young people safe spaces to seek information and counseling.
That, he said, would help reduce the high incidence of teenage pregnancy and support adolescents in making informed decisions about their sexual health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Editorial
Addressing unhealthy conditions at Akropong Mandela Market
Dear Editor,
The Akropong Mandela Market, a vibrant centre of commerce, has been in a terrible state for over a decade now.
Central to the problem is a public toilet located near the market, which has become a breeding ground for diseases and a source of discomfort for both food vendors and customers.
This toilet, utilised by everyone in the town, is positioned too close to the market, severely affecting the vendors who spend long hours selling their goods.
They are constantly exposed to unsanitary conditions mixed with foul odours emanating from the facility.
Agnes, a vendor at the market is sad about the apparent lack of concern from those responsible for maintaining the toilet. Despite collecting user fees, there seems to be little effort to keep the facility clean and hygienic.
The situation at the Akropong Mandela Market highlights the urgent need for effective waste management and sanitation infrastructure in public spaces.
Authorities must take immediate action to ensure the facility is regularly maintained and cleaned. Vendors and customers deserve a safe and healthy environment to conduct their daily activities.
In the meantime, the vendors are urging local government officials to intervene and find a lasting solution to this problem.
Only through collective action can the health and well-being of both vendors and customers be safeguarded to restore the Akropong Mandela Market to its former glory as a thriving commercial hub.
Addo Sarah Ansah Student,
UNIMAC–IJ(BACS26275)
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