Editorial
Boycott of the IPAC meeting on election 2020 by the NDC
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.
Dear Editor,
It is often said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. However, this saying becomes worrying when the health of citizens is threatened by the conditions under which the food they consume daily is sold.
In Ghana, the conditions under which food is sold is quite disturbing. Over the years, I have observed that the environments where food is prepared and sold are often unhygienic.
In many cases, containers holding food such as rice and waakye are left uncovered or not properly covered, exposing them to contamination.
While many Ghanaians paid little attention in the past to the conditions under which food was sold, the narrative seems to be changing in recent years.
I recall an incident during my days in Senior High School (S.H.S.) when my friends and I went out to buy food. At one location, some of us chose not to buy because we assumed the food would be expensive due to how neat the place looked.
Unfortunately, we ended up purchasing food from a different place that was somewhat unhygienic. We overlooked the poor conditions because we believed the quantity offered was better than at the cleaner location.
However, I am certain that my friends and I would not repeat such a mistake today, as we now understand the health implications of that decision.
While public education is important in addressing this issue, I believe it is time for regulatory and law enforcement agencies, such as the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), to crack the whip on food sellers and vendors who operate in unhygienic environments and conditions.
As citizens, we must also be mindful of where we buy our food to protect ourselves and our families from diseases and illnesses. We should choose ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ and prioritize our health.
From Syram
Oyarifa
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern and call for improved security measures before and after every football match.
The recent robbery attack that led to the tragic death of a player, on their return from a Match day 29 game against Samartex, is both shocking and heartbreaking.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 10:30 p.m., highlights the growing risks faced by players and team officials while traveling.
Football is meant to unite and entertain, not to expose lives to danger. It is therefore imperative that authorities, the Ghana Football Association, and security agencies put in place adequate protection for teams, especially during late-night travels.
I strongly urge all stakeholders to treat this matter with urgency to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring.
From Eugene Ampiaw
Accra
