Editorial
Environmental protection is necessary
One area that Ghanaians must pay attention to is how to care for and protect the environment in order to sustain it for the present and future generations.
It is the environment that gives us the needed space within which to operate and plan all programmes for the benefit of society. If the environment is not sustained, the lives of future generations will be threatened.
Again, if the environment is not well kept the present generation will also not be able to survive.
It is for this reason that issues such as environmental degradation, irresponsible mining, air pollution and the use of chemical to destroy the environment must be given serious attention, so as to ensure continuous survival of everyone in the country.
It is not only Ghanaians who should care about protection of the environment. Countries the world over are also expected to do same.
In Ghana today, the environment is being destroyed in a very irresponsible manner. Gutters are choked because of the irresponsible behaviour of residents who keep on throwing garbage in to them and drains.
Finding ourselves in the rainy season, these drains and gutters are now choked, causing over flow of water and filt into residential areas to destroy lives and property. These things must stop immediately and to be able to stop it, people have to be prosecuted.
The country must resort to rigid implementation of our environmental laws and bye-laws to serve as a deterrent to all those who are causing mayhem as far as environmental degradation is concerned.
The patriotic duty being performed by the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Honourable Henry Quartey, is a worthy task that must be supported by each and every responsible person in this country. Similarly, environmental degradation caused by the activities of “galamsey” operators must be halted immediately.
Ghana is a beautiful country whose environment must be protected and all hands must be on deck. The forests, rivers, minerals, atmosphere and so on should be adequately protected for the present and future generations.
This is important because the environment is one of the greatest assets which nature has given us to manage.
Editorial
Parents urged to take responsibility for sex education
Dr. Francis Wuobar, a Gynaecologist at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua has urged parents to take the lead in providing sex education to their children, stressing that they were in the best position to guide them through the changes of adolescence.
According to him, sex education remained a taboo subject in most Ghanaian homes, a culture that must change to prevent children from seeking misleading information elsewhere.
“With the evolving nature of society and technological advancements, today’s children will either learn about sex on the internet or from their peers, who may offer wrong advice,” he cautioned.
Dr. Wuobar noted that the health system and society often concentrate on the reproductive stage of life, neglecting the adolescent and menopausal phases.
“When a woman reaches the reproductive period and gets pregnant, everyone rallies around her. But before that stage, during adolescence, there is little attention and guidance, which has contributed to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy,” he explained.
He observed that many adolescents lack access to counseling and adolescent clinics, creating a vacuum that forces them to explore on their own.
“The answers they seek, adults and parents are not willing to provide. Their peers, who are equally uninformed, become their only source of advice. This exploration is one of the major contributors to teenage pregnancy,” he said.
Dr. Wuobar therefore called on parents to create open and confidential spaces for discussion, where children can freely ask questions about sex, puberty, and relationships.
He emphasized that parents must help adolescents understand the consequences of unprotected sex, the changes they go through, and what choices were right or wrong.
“Today’s generation is curious and asks questions, unlike in the past when children were silent. Parents should not rebuke them but rather engage them seriously and guide them through this turbulent stage,” he advised.
He further appealed to the health sector to establish more adolescent clinics across the country to give young people safe spaces to seek information and counseling.
That, he said, would help reduce the high incidence of teenage pregnancy and support adolescents in making informed decisions about their sexual health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Editorial
Addressing unhealthy conditions at Akropong Mandela Market
Dear Editor,
The Akropong Mandela Market, a vibrant centre of commerce, has been in a terrible state for over a decade now.
Central to the problem is a public toilet located near the market, which has become a breeding ground for diseases and a source of discomfort for both food vendors and customers.
This toilet, utilised by everyone in the town, is positioned too close to the market, severely affecting the vendors who spend long hours selling their goods.
They are constantly exposed to unsanitary conditions mixed with foul odours emanating from the facility.
Agnes, a vendor at the market is sad about the apparent lack of concern from those responsible for maintaining the toilet. Despite collecting user fees, there seems to be little effort to keep the facility clean and hygienic.
The situation at the Akropong Mandela Market highlights the urgent need for effective waste management and sanitation infrastructure in public spaces.
Authorities must take immediate action to ensure the facility is regularly maintained and cleaned. Vendors and customers deserve a safe and healthy environment to conduct their daily activities.
In the meantime, the vendors are urging local government officials to intervene and find a lasting solution to this problem.
Only through collective action can the health and well-being of both vendors and customers be safeguarded to restore the Akropong Mandela Market to its former glory as a thriving commercial hub.
Addo Sarah Ansah Student,
UNIMAC–IJ(BACS26275)
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