Editorial
Honour fathers in spectacular way
Fathers Day is tomorrow! Hurray! Celebrated on the third Sunday of June each year, it will be a unique day that is widely observed worldwide.
Father’s Day is an opportunity to honour fathers and express gratitude for the significant impact they have on their children, families, and communities.
Mothers and mother-figures were honoured on Mother’s Day last month, and tomorrow will be another chance to honour biological fathers, father-figures, stepfathers, grandfathers, guardians, and others for their love, support, and guidance in different ways.
On this important day, try to spend time with your father, get him gifts, take him out to eat with you, cook his favourite meal at home, or give him a call if you are unable to visit.
Over the years, some fathers have been portrayed negatively as horrible nuts but this is slowly changing.
In the current generation, fathers are taking on greater responsibility and making many sacrifices to provide food for their children, and a decent accommodation to live, spend enough time raising them, and invest in their education to make life meaningful for them.
Fathers should be honoured for their hard work, sacrifices, and significant impact on their children’s and others’ lives.
Despite years of being single-fathers, some fathers have successfully raised their children to be responsible adults on their own by working hard. What a delight!
This is not to deny that there are still irresponsible fathers in the world. They have no idea what their children eat, what they wear, or even where they sleep. Their children refer to these fathers as “living-dead.”
The Spectator urges people who are hurt to forgive their fathers because two wrongs do not equal a right, In any case, he is still your father, so be brave and take advantage of this day to honour him.
Fathers who have damaged connections with their children should also take the required actions to apologise and mend these ties in order for peace and harmony to exist, since mistakes are inevitable for human beings.
The Spectator also exhorts fathers to keep loving, providing for, guiding, disciplining, and protecting their children as the world prepares to celebrate Father’s Day tomorrow. Mentoring, leadership, counselling, patience, honesty, compassion, fairness, and truth are all necessary for the next generation.
Also, as a husband you will be treated as a king if you show your wife love, respect, and consideration.
To all fathers, “Ayekoo.”
Editorial
Urgent call to address sanitation, environmental neglect at Legon City Campus, Makola-Tudu Junction
Dear Editor
Ghana is grappling with mounting sanitation and environmental neglect and as a concerned citizen and advocate for a cleaner, safer and more presentable academic environment, I feel compelled to highlight disturbing issues I encountered during a recent visit to the enclave of Workers College, currently operating as Legon City Campus of the University of Ghana as well as Accra Central, specifically the stretch from Makola towards Tudu, just after the Ghana National Fire Service office.
At the Legon City Campus, formerly known as Workers College, widespread overgrowth of weeds along campus walls and walkways poses both safety and structural risks.
The unchecked vegetation is encroaching on pedestrian pathways and threatening the stability of surrounding walls.
Behind the campus, near the road to Adabraka and Liberia Road, garbage and overgrown weeds have turned the area into an eyesore, undermining the prestige of one of Ghana’s premier universities.
The environmental degradation reflects poorly on the institution’s leadership and jeopardizes student and community health.
I would like to urge the University of Ghana Estate Department to act immediately, clearing the weeds, reinforcing structural elements, cleaning the garbage-strewn areas, and establishing a consistent maintenance schedule.
This will ensure safety, institutional pride and civic responsibility.
In Accra Central, a similar crisis is festering. A growing heap of refuse near the Makola-Tudu Junction, just past the Ghana National Fire Service office has overwhelmed pedestrian walkways and spilled into vehicular lanes.
This not only causes human and traffic congestion but also creates a hazardous public health situation in one of the city’s busiest commercial zones.
As a tour guide and advocate for Ghana’s tourism industry, this development has damaging impact on the country’s image.
Tourists encountering filth in the capital’s core are left with a negative impression, counteracting national efforts to boost tourism.
I therefore call on the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Osu Klottey Municipal Assembly, and sanitation agencies to enforce waste management laws, improve public hygiene infrastructure and revive the National Sanitation Day initiative to foster civic responsibility.
It is time for authorities at all levels to demonstrate leadership and restore dignity to these vital spaces. The status quo is no longer acceptable.
Frederick Nortey (Traveler, Tour Guide, Blogger, Writer)
Accra
Editorial
Renovate Efua Sutherland Children’s Park
The Efua Sutherland Children’s Park at West Ridge in the Greater Accra Region, now in ruins, needs renovations.
The once-vibrant recreational centre for children, families, students, and tourists is now in a state of neglect, according to our reporter who visited the place.
Efua Sutherland, a well-known playwright and children’s author, is honoured by the Park, an important recreational and cultural area. Her work with children made her a notable figure in Ghanaian literature and education.
The Park used to be well-known and a popular destination for schoolchildren, particularly during vacation, but today visitors are met with outdated machinery and dilapidated infrastructure.
A vital green space in the city, the park provides a calm setting for families and children to unwind, play, and take part in cultural events. It is relevant because it fosters community life, offers recreational opportunities, hosts cultural events, and connects people to their Ghanaian heritage.
Additionally, both locals and visitors may easily access it due to its central location. Nothing seems to have been done to update the space or give it a facelift.
During The Spectator’s tour of the facility it was observed that the 14.83-acre playground’s equipment has rusted and turned into death traps instead of serving the intended purpose of entertaining guests.
Children are put off by the condition of the equipment because they are afraid of getting hurt. Inquiries at the location also showed that few people visit to inquire about the place and that its current condition makes it unappealing for event planners to host special events there. This calls into question the country’s dedication to maintaining such iconic and public areas.
There is an urgent need to address the terrible situation.
In order to ensure that events are hosted in the park, The Spectator urges the Ministry of Gender, Women and Social Protection (MCWSP), which is in charge of overseeing the facility, to collaborate with investors and other stakeholders to give it a facelift.
We think that if the Park is renovated, it will draw more event planners and regain its reputation as a communal hub that promotes cultural pride and a sense of belonging.
