News
Be wise! Your life is on your nose
Dear Editor,
I wish to draw attention on something that fellow citizens must be aware of. It appears most of us are not taking the safety protocols serious and are constantly dropping our guard daily and a high sense of empathy is setting in for most Ghanaians.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 is on the rise and taking high profile lives and casualties. This includes friends and close relations. The only reason why this is happening is that most of us are trusting our instincts more than Common Sense and Science.
If we should all insist not to talk to anyone not wearing a face mask apart from people in our houses, we will not only help curb the spread but save lives as well.
Coronavirus is not like Chicken Pox that can be seen with one’s eyes. Don’t trust anyone you are not living with even if it’s your mother, brother, office colleague, you don’t know who they have been exposed to. It’s getting serious and the only way to protect yourself and your family is to enforce strict safety protocols. Never send children to buy credit or anything for you.
Vendors and food sellers are more exposed than anyone else because 100s of people interact with them and they handle money that has passed through several hands.
You life and that of your close family depends on what you put or do not put on your nose and mouth. You DO NOT HAVE TO SPEAK TO OR ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE SPOKEN TO BY ANYONE NOT WEARING A MASK!
People erroneously drop their mask to the chin, a practice which is extremely serious and dangerous. When you do that you risk picking the virus from your chin and breathing it in. Before you drop your mask to your chin apply sanitizer to your hands and rub your chin.
Sir John was a very intelligent lawyer and head of the Forestry Commission. You are not better than him! He and his family dropped their guard and 4 members are already dead.
If you keep dropping your guard there’s a probability that you will not last the rest of the month.
Be Wise! “Your Life is on Your Nose
Don’t trust your eyes and emotions, some have paid dearly for that error of judgement and you can be next!
A concerned Ghanaian citizen
Troubled and anxious citizens in Damongo of the Savannah Region have expressed concerns about the number of young people, believed to be under the age of 18, involved in ‘shisha’ smoking in pubs and drinking spots within the township.
Eyewitnesses say the minors were seen patronising nightlife venues, where Shisha smoking happen in the open.
The situation has sparked renewed public concern over the enforcement of child protection laws and regulations governing the operations of entertainment centres in the municipality and country as a whole.
An eyewitness, who spoke to The Spectator on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, noted that the situation was becoming increasingly common.
“This is not a one-off incident. It is becoming very common, but residents like us cannot openly report or speak about it because our lives will be at risk,” he said.
Under Ghanaian law, minors were prohibited from patronising Shisha.
Public health experts have consistently warned that shisha use exposes users to harmful substances that can negatively affect brain development, respiratory health, and overall well-being, particularly among young people.
The residents believe the alleged incidents point to broader challenges relating to youth supervision, substance abuse, and weak enforcement of existing regulations and have called on municipal authorities, security agencies, and regulatory bodies to intensify monitoring of pubs and entertainment centres to ensure compliance with the law.
In an effort to address the menace, Mr Salisu Be-Awurbi, the Savannah Regional Minister, has led public education campaigns, engaged security agencies, and supported enforcement actions to address the rising use of illicit substances in the region.
Wura Kelly Seidu Boresah I, the Chief of Damongo, has also called on all stakeholders including parents, community leaders, institutions, and young people to actively support efforts to curb drug abuse, warning that the rising consumption of hard drugs poses a serious health threat to the future of the youth in the Savannah Region.
He also cautioned individuals involved in the sale and distribution of illicit drugs to immediately desist from the practice, stressing that offenders will face arrest and prosecution in accordance with the law.
From Geoffrey Buta, Damongo, Savannah Region
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Dr Theresa Baffour, an advocate for ending violence and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SAHM SAHW Foundation, has said that society plays a critical and pivotal role in breaking the cycle of domestic violence.
According to her, domestic violence is a major contributor of making women, who are mostly the victims, mentally derailed and unable to engage in economic activities.
She said this when the foundation called on the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, to solicit support for the initiative by the “Strong and Healthy Minds, Strong and Healthy Women” (SAHM SAHW) to combat domestic violence within the Ga State.
The visit was occasioned by the fact that domestic violence cases have become quite prevalent in the Ga communities and is retarding growth.
According to her, the canker was an impediment to national development because the victims were usually tortured and would have to go through series of therapies to return to the right state of mind.
Dr Baffour mentioned that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) places a mental toll on women, and was, therefore, important to break the cycle through comprehensive mental health support, crisis intervention and empowerment programmes in communities with high rates of GBV.
This intervention, she underscored, would help in empowering the denigrated victim of domestic violence to soundly heal, build and thrive.
Dr Baffour added that the initiative would provide holistic, trauma-informed mental health care and advocacy for young women affected by domestic violence.
According to her, the above statement would create safe spaces for healing and equipping them with entrepreneurial skills for renewed hope and empowered life.
The Ga Mantse pledged his support for the laudable initiative to combat domestic violence and also acknowledged the need to address it in the Ga State.
Further endorsement came from Justice Julia Naa-Yarley Adjei Amoah, Chief of Staff at the Office of the Ga Mantse, as she commended the team of SAHM SAHW Foundation for taking a bold step to end the canker in the Greater Accra.
She added that it was a step in the right direction to save vulnerable women from torture, stress and emotional abuse.
By Alfred Nii Arday Ankrah
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