Editorial
Human trafficking is menace, let’s eliminate it!
Last week The Spectator carried a story on four Nigerians who were jailed by an Accra Circuit Court for human trafficking.
According to the report the perpetrators promised to secure jobs for their victims in Ghana but unknown to them (the victims) upon arrival in Ghana from Nigeria they were compelled to engage in sex trade.
The perpetrators demanded huge sums of money from the victims before they could gain their freedom but the timely intervention of a “Good Samaritan” led to the arrest of the perpetrators who were later jailed in hard labour.
Human trafficking is a menace in society as it is associated with sexual exploitation, servitude, starvation, depression, fear and trauma among others on victims.
Most often unsuspecting victims, especially young girls, are recruited by friends or even relatives who act as agents under the disguise of securing jobs for them within or outside the country but unfortunately, show them the ‘red card’ as they reach their destination.
Some are issued with threats, forced into domestic servitude and subjected to all forms of abuses to the detriment of their health.
Recently, some Ghanaian victims of human trafficking shared their harrowing experiences of the inhumane treatment meted to them by their hosts after they were rescued and returned to the country.
In fact, the frequent reports of cases of human trafficking is so disturbing and the earlier it is nipped in the bud the better.
The Spectator, therefore, welcomes the Government’s initiative to launch a four-year National Action Plan which will provide guidelines to deal with the menace. The National Action Plan was launched by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) recently.
In the words of the Caretaker Minister of MoGCSP, Ms. Cecilia Abena Dapaah “despite the many interventions instituted by the government to fight human trafficking, the practice was still prevalent.”
Ms. Dapaah also explained that the National Action Plan was necessary because although numerous laws have been enacted to curb human trafficking the practice still persisted.
It is obvious that the country cannot get rid of human trafficking with only laws; rather a concerted effort is needed to eliminate it.
Let us be vigilant and give a hint or report any hidden case of human trafficking to the appropriate authorities to bring perpetrators to book.
We all need to raise awareness and join the fight against human trafficking.
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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