Editorial
Evacuation of Ghanaian students from Ukraine
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As a result of the war between Russia and Ukraine, students studying in Ukraine have been seriously affected.
Due to the precarious situation in Ukraine many students who have gone to that country for studies but want to return home are being evacuated to Ghana for safety. Many of the students, fearing for their lives, have requested to be evacuated home.
Unfortunately, some of the students have stated that they will prefer to go to other countries rather than coming back home and the government of Ghana has made it clear that it will convey only those who are willing to come home.
A few of the students have decided to join their friends in other countries instead of coming home, but the majority of them have stated that they will prefer to be evacuated back home to Ghana.
In view of this development, the Government of Ghana has done what it can to bring the students home. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Honourable Shirley Ayorkor Botchway has met some family members of the students in Accra to answer questions on the safety of the affected Ghanaian students.
This is a good effort by government but as usual, some propagandists have also decided to play politics with the issue by spreading false news that some Ghanaian students have been shot dead in Ukraine. This is a great lie and The Spectator is appealing to all political opponents who see themselves as not being in government to desist from such unhealthy practice.
Ghana is the only country we have so we must treasure it and ensure that as much as possible claims made by anybody about the country is nothing but the truth. We cannot continue to behave as if we are living in the jungle, only concerned about destruction of our motherland.
We thank God for the safe arrival of the students and hope that more of them will be brought home safely to reconcile with their families before going back to continue their studies if there is cessation of hostilities.
On this note, The Spectator commends the government for acting swiftly to bring our dear students back home safely. At the same time, we wish to appeal to Russia to stop its invasion of Ukraine and give peace a chance.
The world today needs lasting peace and this can be brought about by all countries irrespective of where they are on this earth. Russia must listen to the call for peace and stop the aggressive acts it has embarked upon.
We would again want to thank all those individuals and groups, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the efforts made in bringing the students home safely.
Following the closure of airports in Ukraine, the students had to be assisted through surrounding countries such as Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and others before being brought home, so we thank all those who helped in various ways to make their evacuation possible.
Dear Editor,
I want to use this platform to create awareness on the growing safety challenge at some of our beaches, particularly the lack of adequate safety measures to prevent accidents.
Beaches are important recreational spaces that also contribute significantly to Ghana’s tourism industry. However, many beaches lack trained lifeguards, emergency equipment and proper supervision.
During weekends, holidays and sometimes weekdays, families visit these beaches to have fun and some, for relaxing, yet the necessary safety measures are often inadequate.
The situation becomes even more worrying when children and inexperienced swimmers enter the water without proper guidance; it can quickly turn a day meant for enjoyment into a tragedy for families.
I urge beach operators and local authorities to strengthen safety measures at our beaches, make trained lifeguards available at busy beaches, warning signs clearly displayed and emergency responses system established.
Public education is equally important as well. Visitors must be encouraged to obey safety instructions, avoid dangerous places and remain vigilant especially when children are around.
Ghana has beautiful beaches with enormous potentials that attract both local and international tourists, but we cannot promote beach tourism effectively whiles neglecting the safety of the people who visit these places.
I hope the authorities will treat beach safety as a national priority before it cause any tragedy.
From Elvis Amoako
Teshie-Nungua.
Dear Editor,
In Ghana, it appears that the moment a prominent politician is arrested or convicted, we fail to ask of the person’s offence but rather think of the person’s political affiliation.
Taking the recent 20-year imprisonment handed to New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti regional chairman, Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi has once again exposed this troubling culture.
An Accra high court convicted him on illegal-mining related charges and sentenced him to 20 years in prison. The NPP has since announced its intention to appeal the conviction.
What concerns me is not whether one belongs to the NPP or the NDC, what concern me is our growing tendency to attach a political identity to every arrest, investigation or court judgment. If an NPP member is arrested, some immediately say the NDC government is targeting the opposition. If an NDC member faces legal trouble the same argument will easily be reversed when political circumstances change.
We must ask ourselves; Are we defending justice or are we simply depending on our political colours? Political affiliation should never determine whether we believe a person deserves investigation, prosecution or a fair trial. If someone is accused of wrongdoing the proper institution must investigate, the court must determine guilt and the accused must have the right to challenge the decision through legal process.
Ghana cannot build a strong democracy if every criminal investigation becomes a political battle. Let us learn to separate politics from justice, a wrongdoing does not become right because the accused belong to your party and an accusation does not become true simply because the person belong to the opposing party.
Our loyalty should first be Ghana, the rule of the law and justice not to political colors.
From Desmond Yaw Frimpong
Pentecost University
