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.
The recent floods in Accra and the neighbouring areas, which were brought on by a heavy downpour, were very catastrophic and caused loss of lives and property damage.
Similar severe flooding and downpours were also reported in other regions, which has caused anxiety and dread whenever it rains.
In a short period of time, the floods had a dangerous effect on entire communities and landscapes. Because of this, a lot of people are now temporarily putting up with friends or family members.
Videos that went viral on social media showed cars and other valuables being swept away by the floodwaters with little to nothing being done to stop them.
Certain organisations, including the New Times Corporation (NTC), publishers of The Ghanaian Times and The Spectator, were not spared because the flood level damaged important documents and swamped their premises.
Even locations outside of flood-prone zones were inundated by the floods.
The rains would intensify along with thunderstorms, according to the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet), which is tasked with observing, analysing, and disseminating weather and climate information to protect lives, promote economic planning, and maintain public safety.
It is important to remember that increased evaporation and atmospheric moisture due to climate change might intensify rainfall. Furthermore, more catastrophic floods are caused by heavy rainfall and shifting topography.
We discussed the causes of floods and mitigation strategies in our earlier editorial, “Accra floods necessitate change in attitude.”
Although the current flood situation is dire, safety can be greatly improved by being ready and understanding what to do.
The Spectator encourages the public to make an effort to be well-informed about weather predictions and take the required precautions to stay safe because the GMet is now providing accurate forecasts.
Make excellent use of the alert services that you can sign up for these days to get notifications on your phone.
Water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, batteries, prescription drugs, crucial documents in waterproof containers, and first aid supplies should all be prepared and kept readily available.
Safeguard your house and offices, relocate valuables to higher floors, and raise electrical appliances off the ground.
Avoid coming into contact with floodwater whenever you can since it might be tainted with chemicals, sewage, and other dangerous substances and also reptiles.
To make sure your neighbours are secure, it is crucial to check on them, especially if they are elderly, disabled, or living alone.
Additionally, parents need to make sure their children do not play in or close to floodwaters.
Let us be careful as there are floods everywhere.
Dear Editor,
I wish to plead with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) to dispatch personnel to some of the flash points when it rains.
What happened last Monday and Tuesday at major transport terminals must not be something that must be repeated.
I wish to first of all commend the Interior Minister, Mr Muntaka Mubarak for the swift intervention by announcing the ‘holiday’ that gave workers and school children a relief.
It was such a tough moment for workers driving and those not driving. The situation at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange and other transport terminals forced workers to walk long distances.
Apart from the lack of public transport, pedestrians had to navigate through mud, making it difficult to move around.
I believe that with the presence of police personnel, the traffic situation can be well managed to ease the huge traffic congestion to make travelling a lot easier.
Frank Amoah,
Kasoa
