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Editorial

Increase in food prices: We need more sustainable measures

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Some workers at the Ministry buying food stuffs

Some workers at the Ministry buying food stuffs

Dear Editor,

 Permit me to express my thoughts on the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) ‘market’ set up in Accra recently by the Ministry of Food and Agri­culture. The ministry since last week had been selling foodstuff at prices patrons say were relatively cheap­er than those on the open market.

This week, I heard other produce would be available at the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park. While some people have lauded the initiative others say food distribution or supply can­not be within the mandate of the agriculture ministry.

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Others suggest that the Ministry’s direct sale of foodstuffs would create the impression that traders on the open market are re­sponsible for the escalating food prices in the country.

Whatever be the argu­ment, tough times call for drastic measures hence the decision by the ministry to go to the hinterlands to cart and supply goods to the general public.

While at it, I am yet to see any clear measures the ministry is putting in place to address the numerous challenges traders face in transporting food to their final destination, the capital Accra and else­where. Transportation cost, according to traders, had been a major determinant in the prices of goods.

Unlike the ministry, that has enough logistics to cart goods from the hinterlands, traders sometimes have to convey goods in transit for many days before arriving at their final destinations.

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Many have said the Min­istry’s approach to address­ing the high cost of food prices in the country is not sustainable and I cannot agree less. Although this may bring some temporary relief, consumers wonder what will happen in the months and years ahead when this pilot arrange­ment is over.

Selling foodstuff at the Ministry without tackling the root causes of the general high cost of food prices in the country only amounts to window-dress­ing the issues. We cannot continue this way, citizens deserve better!

Franklin Kwabena Okyere,

Dodowa

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Editorial

No life should be lost over allegations

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Dear Editor,

The recent death of Nana Yaw, also known as Dinero/Terry, has left various communities deeply shaken over the circumstances under which a life was lost.

Reports suggest that he went missing after a phone transaction in Teshie and was later found dead. Allegations have circulated that he visited a female friend despite having a pregnant wife at home.

Even if such allegations were true, does that mean he deserved to die? The answer is no. Infidelity is a moral failing, but it is not a crime punishable by death. To suggest otherwise is to normalize violence and diminish the value of human life.

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This tragedy should remind us of the urgent need for justice and accountability. His family especially his expectant wife deserves compassion, not judgment. As a community, we must reject victim‑blaming and focus on preventing such senseless losses in the future.

Nana Yaw’s death is not just a personal tragedy, it is a call to action. 

We must demand thorough investigation, ensure those responsible are held accountable, and commit ourselves to building a society where disagreements and mistakes do not end in violence.

Princess Wonovi, 

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Editorial

Take quick action to rebuild Percheyire R/C Basic School

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The situation at Percheyire R/C Basic School in the Yilo Krobo district is a warning concerning Ghana’s rural education facilities as pupils in Primary four through six are forced to learn inside a building of mud walls, worn-out roofing sheets, and rotting wooden pillars.

It is more than just an infrastructural shortfall. It indicates a fundamental failing of public safety and educational justice. 

Every day, when pupils and teachers arrive at school, their safety is in danger because a school building has such fundamental flaws that it could collapse during a storm.

The classroom is now a hazard rather than a haven for learning for the 30 upper primary pupils and their teachers. A single extreme weather event could cause a mud construction to fall dangerously because it depends on makeshift timber pillars. 

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These children are routinely deprived of the instructional hours that the national curriculum promises them when the arrival of rain inevitably necessitates the suspension of classes to save lives, books, and furniture. 

A deeper systemic problem is revealed when Rev. Elizabeth Korasare, a former teacher, reveals that this identical arrangement has not changed in 38 years. 

Some proponents contend that local government institutions like the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the District Assembly are solely to blame for the main failure. Actual rehabilitation has been postponed due to administrative inactivity, despite official site visits and reports submitted by the school administration. 

According to this viewpoint, there is a problem with the way emergency educational funds are allocated and prioritised when a community school is left in a dangerous condition for decades while waiting for budgetary allocations.

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This point of view highlights the necessity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and public-private collaborations. When state machinery fails, supporters contend that combining corporate money with citizen mobilisation provides a more flexible way to replace deteriorating structures.

It is a pity that Percheyire R/C Basic School’s surrounding infrastructure worsens the school’s structural deterioration. Children travelling from nearby communities like Togodo are severely restricted in their access due to an inadequate road network.

When more than 60 school-aged children in a single nearby town are cut off from regular attendance due to distance and bad roads, the school’s capacity to raise the district is substantially limited. A contemporary classroom block will only be successful if students can get there safely.

The lives of Percheyire’s pupils and teachers are at risk, therefore the Spectator is pleading with the Yilo Krobo District Assembly and other interested parties to rebuild the primary block.

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