Editorial
Improve security arrangement at match venues
Dear Editor,
It is sad to hear that a football fan has lost his life at a match venue.
It has thrown the football fraternity into a state of mourning.
The incident which occurred on Sunday when Nsoatreman FC played Asante Kotoko in a Premier League game highlights the lack of proper security measures at the various match venues across the country at all levels of our football.
Over the years, there have been issues of violent attacks on match officials, sports journalists, and opposition supporters by fans of home teams.
However, most of these cases are not addressed by the Ghana Football Association (GFA).
When such incidents happen, the team that is involved often get banned from playing at their home grounds, while the supporters go unpunished.
This has not yielded the needed results as we continue to see violent acts at our stadiums.
In view of the recent incident, I recommend that appropriate security measures be put in place by the GFA to protect teams, match officials, and sports journalists.
To begin with, I suggest that any team that travels to honour league matches should be provided with adequate security.
Also, certain venues in the Bono region, should be allocated a greater number of security personnel to ensure the safety of both home and travelling supporters.
The two most successful football clubs in the country, Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko, should also lead reforms of the league, as often seen in Europe and North Africa, where teams like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Al Ahly and Zamalek take the bold step in ensuring that decisions regarding the salaries of players, their welfare and security measures at match venues were not only taken for granted.
For that to happen, representatives of these two clubs at the Executive Committee of the GFA need to be vocal and stand firm with the decision they make.
Atom,
Accra
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
