Editorial
COVID-19 is real; let’s be up and doing
The world today has been plagued with the COVID-19 pandemic which has threatened the lives of people on earth and destroyed various forms of businesses, making it difficult for the entire world to move on peacefully as expected.
It is in the light of this that various pieces of advice have been thrown out to people in this country to know that the pandemic is not imaginary but real.
Many people have died from it as a result of negligence or accidental contact with infected persons.
The Spectator is, therefore, of the view that the time has come to intensify the campaign against the disease, so as to minimise its effect on people in this country.
By so doing, we will be enjoying life better than what can be enjoyed under the ‘atrocities’ of the pandemic.
Ghanaians and the rest of the world have been informed about contraction of the disease by Most Reverend Palmer Buckle, the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Cape Coast. This man of God wants all Ghanaians in the world to know that COVID-19 is real for which reason we should all be up and doing.
Being up and doing simply means that we should know that the disease is real and can affect us when we come in contact with people who have been infected.
It is a well-known fact that Ghana has been hit with the second wave of the pandemic, leading to a surge in the positive cases being recorded.
This explains why day in day out our health professionals keep advising us to observe all the safety protocols as a way of helping to contain the disease or bringing it under control.
Even though the entire country needs to be protected from the pandemic, we are told that certain parts of the country are endangered with more positive cases than others. The Greater Accra Region leads in the case counts with the Ashanti Region coming second.
What this means for the whole country is that everyone must seriously observe the health safety protocols in order to avoid infection.
The dangers associated with contracting the disease is such that, we need to bring the disease under total control to ensure that, we are kept safe at all times. We do not have to panic, but be very conscious and avoid negligence, so as to avoid coming in contact with the disease.
This is important because even for those who have been infected and subsequently recovered from the disease, their systems have been affected adversely in one way or the other such that, some of them may not be as healthy as they used to be. Rigid observance of all the safety protocols is, therefore, non-negotiable.
Another issue that must not be overlooked is self-medication. Here, self-medication is dangerous so people should desist from that since it adds to risks of COVID-19 mobility.
The acting Director of the Ghana Infectious Disease Centre (GIDC), Dr Joseph Adjetey Oliver Commey, has advised the public against self-medication and rather seek early medication to help avert the rise in the rate of fatalities from the COVID-19.
This advice must be complied with to avoid worsening situations for anyone in the country.
The time to be serious about the disease is now, so we all need to contribute our quota in ensuring that COVID-19 is really brought under control in the interest of the nation.
Dear Editor,
Over the past few months, the ages of some drivers of commercial vehicles continue to baffle me.
This is common during weekends when one boards any of the commercial vehicles – be it trotros and okada.
I remember, I boarded a taxi from the Accra Central area towards the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area. When I sat in the vehicle, I realised the driver was a young boy. Specifically, he said he was 18.
I know our laws do not permit youth under the age of 21 to be driving; that is clearly against Ghana’s Road Traffic laws for operating commercial vehicles.
Some commuters have even had confrontations with station masters over the issue and have refused to board vehicles driven by underage individuals, despite the risk of arriving late for work.
This situation is deeply disturbing because it puts the lives of passengers and other road users at risk.
No matter how skilled such drivers may be, allowing underage persons to operate commercial vehicles is wrong and unlawful. Laws governing road safety are meant to protect lives, and ignoring them only increases the chances of accidents and loss of lives.
I therefore urge the relevant authorities, especially the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, to strictly enforce the age requirements for commercial driving in the country.
Baba
Labadi
The advantages of focusing on girls have been evident over the years. However, current research indicates that the statistics pertaining to boys are still declining.
Approximately 69 percent of boys and 73 percent of girls finish primary school. While Senior High School (SHS) enrollment trends have lately changed, with females significantly outnumbering males (about 110 girls to every 100 boys), Junior High School (JHS) gender parity remains stable, with the Gender Parity Index (GPI) remaining between 1.00 and 1.03.
The Gender Parity Index (GPI) indicates parity between girls and boys.
Although encouraging education for girls is essential for Ghana’s development, the strong emphasis has unintentionally led to inequalities for boys.
Many stakeholders worry that affirmative action and unequal resource distribution put males at risk, which can occasionally lead to increased dropout rates and behavioural issues in specific neighbourhoods.
There has been a lot of discussion among Ghanaian sociologists and educators about the disproportionate support given to girls and how it affects boys.
They claim that the majority of scholarships and special facilities are frequently disproportionately given to girls, which boy child advocates contend makes young men feel ignored or disadvantaged.
Due to these differences, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, Vice Chancellor of Pentecost University, has voiced serious concerns and is pushing for a deliberate discussion about the education and development of boys in order to build stronger families and societies.
The statement was made by Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua during a seminar hosted by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra on May 16, which is International Day of the Boy Child.
It was organised in association with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) under the theme “Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.”
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua revealed that many young males are vulnerable due to inadequate mentoring, a decline in schooling, negative social media influences, and emotional neglect.
Additionally, he stated that the boy child faced numerous difficulties, including aggression, substance addiction, academic decline, emotional neglect, and the lack of strong role models, as a result of the focus shifting to the girl child.
He worries that since boys are essential to the development of the country, they should not be overlooked in discussions about leadership, education, family stability, and national reform.
The Spectator agrees with Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua and believes that while it is important to train girls, neglecting boys can impede social advancement by causing differences in behaviour and education between young men and women.
“If we don’t make an effort social media will train our children for us. We’re not saying they shouldn’t use social media, but we should help them get the information they need to succeed in life,” he said.
The Spectator believes that the GES would adopt gender-responsive education in order to guarantee that classroom instruction meets the requirements of both boys and girls equally.
Let’s continue to be dedicated to making sure that no child is left behind.
