Editorial
Human rights versus religious belief
Dear Editor
The Apostolic Faith Churches of Portland Oregon in Ghana believes one should marry within their churches and would subject all those who do not comply to all sorts of inhumane discipline.
The church would not recognise you as a Christian and would ask you to refrain from doing any ministry work placed in your hands.
If you are a chorister, they would ask you to step down and some of the pastors would even go to the extent of sending some of the children who believe otherwise to psychiatric hospitals for treatment thinking that marrying outside their faith is a mental illness.
This and other practices of the church make it look like a cult. The church, in their ingnorance, believes that anybody who wears ear rings and any woman who wears trousers would not go to heaven.
I find it so disheartening to accept the fact that a church from the US where liberty is highly stressed practises such belief. Why is the Supreme Court of the United States silent about this matter? Why has SCOTUS allowed a church from the US to practise this thing in any part of the world?
Ebenezer K N Baiden-Amissah
P. O. BOX GP 801, Accra.
0245310380
Dear Editor,
It is often said that a healthy nation is a wealthy nation. However, this saying becomes worrying when the health of citizens is threatened by the conditions under which the food they consume daily is sold.
In Ghana, the conditions under which food is sold is quite disturbing. Over the years, I have observed that the environments where food is prepared and sold are often unhygienic.
In many cases, containers holding food such as rice and waakye are left uncovered or not properly covered, exposing them to contamination.
While many Ghanaians paid little attention in the past to the conditions under which food was sold, the narrative seems to be changing in recent years.
I recall an incident during my days in Senior High School (S.H.S.) when my friends and I went out to buy food. At one location, some of us chose not to buy because we assumed the food would be expensive due to how neat the place looked.
Unfortunately, we ended up purchasing food from a different place that was somewhat unhygienic. We overlooked the poor conditions because we believed the quantity offered was better than at the cleaner location.
However, I am certain that my friends and I would not repeat such a mistake today, as we now understand the health implications of that decision.
While public education is important in addressing this issue, I believe it is time for regulatory and law enforcement agencies, such as the Food and Drug Authority (FDA), to crack the whip on food sellers and vendors who operate in unhygienic environments and conditions.
As citizens, we must also be mindful of where we buy our food to protect ourselves and our families from diseases and illnesses. We should choose ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ and prioritize our health.
From Syram
Oyarifa
Dear Editor,
I write to express concern and call for improved security measures before and after every football match.
The recent robbery attack that led to the tragic death of a player, on their return from a Match day 29 game against Samartex, is both shocking and heartbreaking.
The incident, which reportedly occurred around 10:30 p.m., highlights the growing risks faced by players and team officials while traveling.
Football is meant to unite and entertain, not to expose lives to danger. It is therefore imperative that authorities, the Ghana Football Association, and security agencies put in place adequate protection for teams, especially during late-night travels.
I strongly urge all stakeholders to treat this matter with urgency to prevent such unfortunate incidents from recurring.
From Eugene Ampiaw
Accra
