Editorial
Human capital, youthful exuberance and national development
There is the need for every country to pay critical attention to the people it has and fight hard to develop the skills of such people; so that they can come together to help develop communities and promote national development.
For the most important assets in every country is the human resource base,
The development of this human resource should not just be academic but also the technical, vocational and other skills, so that a balance can be struck for the overall development of the country.
In Ghana today, the youth form a large section of the population and should not be left to go wayward. This means they need to be directed appropriately, so that their visions in life can be realised or achieved.
Without such programmes, the youth will be found wanting by walking about wasting their talents. This must not be allowed to happen because it is the talents that can be utilised to transform the country.
The youth need to be given hope from time to time, so that they can know society thinks and values them also as an important part of society.
The youth of today have an important role to play as they are responsible for the development of the country at present and for the future. Their forefathers had done what they could to bring them to a certain level of development but they also need to play their part in ensuring that the future is guaranteed for the prosperity of all Ghanaians.
It is in light of this that The Spectator is happy for certain ongoing programmes designed to give hope and direction to the youth of this country. We are aware of a programme taking place in Kumasi which will be under the chairmanship of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene. This is an important programme that must be encouraged, so that the youth will know that they are not left to fend for themselves but be guided to know what it takes to delve into what is good for them and be able to come out with what they can do to shape up the country.
The programme organised under the theme, “The youth, our future hope” signifies the importance of the youth segment of this country and the fact that they need to know that all is not lost. The programme comes off on Friday, April 29, 2022, at the Great Hall of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. The programme is not meant for only the youth in that institution but all other young people in Ghana.
The National Youth Authority deserves high commendation for organising such an event and it is the expectation of everyone that its objectives will be achieved, so that the country as a whole will be the ultimate beneficiary within the context of national progress and development.
Long live the youth of this country
Long live Ghana!
Dear Editor,
I WRITE to condemn the circumstances under which an accident victim died recently after three major hospitals reportedly turned him away due to what has earned a place in our local parlance as ‘no bed syndrome.’
Reports suggested that this motor rider who got knocked by a vehicle was taken to three major hospitals – Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital), and the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital – but they all claimed they had no beds.
But one may ask, would there ever be beds?
Such is the treatment Ghanaians endure every now and then when one visits our hospitals, especially the public ones which are run with the taxpayers’ money. Many a time when one visits the hospitals, the sight of patients admitted and lying on benches, and some sitting on chairs while receiving care, is visible to all; making one wonder why this particular motor rider was not admitted at any of the facilities, looking at his condition.
This leads to the reason for this letter, which is to bring out a perceived apathy against these motor riders, the majority of whom are referred to as ‘Okada’ riders.
Due to their recklessness on the roads and the inconvenience caused to commuters, people always speak ill about them; drivers equally have no regard for them. Every user of public transport would attest to this. These riders are blamed for every offence, even when it is obvious drivers may be at fault sometimes.
Motor riders have become like orphans on the road; people care less about them, and when they are unfortunately knocked down, no one cares about them.
This is the mischief our authorities and agencies, including the police, must seek to cure to make the road safe for all users.
These are young folks that want to make a living for themselves, and with no skill or education, ‘Okada’ rides have become their source of livelihood. They need the protection accorded drivers and commuters as well.
In other countries, some facilities have been provided to make their work safer, but in Ghana, we lack them, leaving them with no alternative than to share the available space with the cars.
What has happened should serve as a wake-up call on our authorities to aim to take a second look at the ‘Okada’ menace. With the numbers increasing, there should be a way to regulate them because no government would have the guts to ban it totally.
Drivers should be made to accept the reality that they are sharing the roads with them, and therefore the need for patience and tolerance.
For some of our hospitals, I suggest the Ministry of Health conduct their own investigations to see what patients go through in accessing medicare, which is even not for free.
Thank you, Editor, for the space.
F. Morgan, Kokrobite
Dear Editor,
THE heartbreaking death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah in a hit-and-run accident has exposed once again the failures in our health system.
Even more painful is the fact that his father had previously donated beds to some hospitals, yet when his son needed urgent care, he was moved from one facility to another because there were ‘no beds.’
This is not only tragic but unacceptable. How can a country lose its bright young citizens simply because hospitals cannot provide emergency treatment? The ‘no bed syndrome’ has become a national disgrace, and Charles’ death is a reminder that reforms cannot wait.
Our hospitals must be equipped to handle emergencies, and accountability must be enforced. If donations are made to improve facilities, then those facilities must serve the people when it matters most. Ghana cannot afford to keep losing lives to negligence and poor infrastructure.
Charles Amissah’s death should be the turning point. Let us honor his memory by fixing the system so that no family would suffer this kind of preventable loss again.
Princess Wonovi
Accra
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