Editorial
Congrats farmers, continue to work hard to feed our dear nation!
This year’s National Farmers’ Day is to be celebrated in Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital, to honour farmers who have been working hard over the years to ensure adequate output of food and raw materials for the country. Even though farming comes in various forms and is considered vital in economic development, the youth of today find it unattractive because it is perceived as too difficult and challenging. It is important to note, however, that people who have embraced farming over the years have been able to create wealth for themselves and the country as a whole. Apart from being able to produce food for the people of this country, they are able to sell their produce to earn some income. Farming may be in form of cultivation of crops, fishing and aquaculture, cultivation of crops for
export, as well as agro processing. The theme for this year’s National Farmers’ Day is: “Planting for Food and Jobs – Consolidating Food Systems in Ghana.” The theme is very important for a number of reasons. In the first place, Planting for Food and Jobs as a programme has helped this country tremendously. The country is able to feed itself and even export some of its foodstuffs to neighbouring countries. It is, therefore, necessary to continue and strengthen this programme so that adequate food supply will be
available for the country. Secondly, output in the agricultural sector should not remain in the raw form but processed further to let the output stay for a longer time. This way, other young people can take advantage to process it and add value to it. Here, the value chain can consist of a series of opportunities that can be exploited by people to create more jobs for the youth. One such opportunity is the establishment of storage facilities for the produce in the agricultural sector. Another one will be the provision
of transportation systems to help in conveying of the produce from place to place. It is important to ensure that every effort is made by the government to encourage all those who want to engage in serious farming. This is the only way to encourage the young ones to go into it. Apart from crop farming, we must also show interest in aquaculture so that different kinds of fish can be produced to feed us with balanced diets and make us healthy. As farmers are being encouraged through the various awards presented to them over the years, Ghanaians must see farming as an option that can serve as a means of livelihood to compete with white collar jobs. The Spectator congratulates farmers throughout the country and urge them to continue to work hard to feed our dear nation.
Dear Editor,
I AM writing to draw your attention to the inadequate street lights in some parts of Wawase, a situation that continues to pose serious concerns for residents.
Street lights play a crucial role in ensuring safety and security within a community. Unfortunately, several areas in Wawase are completely without functioning street lights.
This has made movement at night very difficult and dangerous, especially for workers, students, and traders who return home late.
The lack of proper lighting has also created an enabling environment for criminal activities such as theft and harassment. Residents often live in fear, and some are forced to limit their movements after dark. Additionally, poor visibility increases the risk of road accidents, putting both pedestrians and drivers at risk.
It is concerning that despite the growing population and development in Wawase, this basic infrastructure issue remains unresolved.
I would like to appeal to the relevant authorities, including the local assembly and electricity providers, to urgently address this problem by installing new street lights and repairing faulty ones.
Ensuring adequate street lights will not only improve security but also enhance the overall quality of life for residents in the area.
Gwen Mensah, Agona Swedru
Dear Editor,
FOR some time now, I have been deeply concerned about the state of the Kaneshie footbridge, which has over the years developed cracks, exposing some rusted metal parts and raising safety concerns.
It is, therefore, welcome news for daily users of the facility like myself that a team from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), led by the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), visited the facility and announced a temporary closure to allow for maintenance work to be carried out.
While I wish to commend the Assembly for the move, I believe it has been long overdue.
I often find it difficult to understand why, as a country, we sit, wait, and watch for preventable incidents or tragedies to happen before we react. I say this because the issue of the bad state of the Kaneshie footbridge has been one that has been re-echoed by many who use it on a daily basis.
I believe that as the Assembly looks to start the maintenance works on the footbridge, it is also important for it and other Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to pay attention to other footbridges across the country that are in a similar state.
The time has come for Ghana, as a country, to be more proactive than reactive.
I will also urge the assemblies to deploy their respective teams to always check on footbridges across the country to ensure that they are in good shape to avoid any tragedy that could lead to the loss of human lives.
From Fafa, Kaneshie
