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‘Lack of respect threat to blind community’
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A visually impaired retired Public Servant has said that lack of social etiquette by some family members posed a serious challenge to the blind community.
According to her, some disparaging remarks from family members with regard to their condition had deprived some physically challenged persons of wives and husbands.
“Contemptible remarks from family members of potential spouses is robbing the blind community of quality men and women.
“Sickness or illness does not discriminate and can attack anybody at any point in times: It is inevitable”.
Speaking in an interview with The Spectator on condition of anonymity last Saturday, the retiree disclosed that she was not blind at the time of marriage but was struck by sickness resulting in her predicament.
“No one knows what tomorrow brings in life so let us love one another and be each other’s keeper. What has happened to me can happen to anyone because blindness is not sold for people to buy,” she said.
She observed over the years that some families would go every length to discourage their members from marrying blind people because they felt they were not good marriage material.
She said it was important to accord persons who had lost their sight the respect and dignity they deserved like all humans.
The retired public servant stated that some families used various means namely emotional blackmail, threats even to the extent of disowning them and leaving some of the people with no choice but to abandon the thought of marrying a blind person.
She said it was disheartening that these physically challenged were men and women who were responsible and gainfully employed with other enviable qualities but just because they had lost their sight, they were not given a chance to get married to their preferred partners.
She pointed out that even in the case of blind men, it was better as compared with blind women, who sometimes found it very difficult to get husbands.
She said some blind women had to settle with some blind men or give up completely on marriage to prevent any inconvenience from the family and friends of their potential spouses.
She said such rigid stance by the society was unfortunate and not doing anybody any good and therefore appealed for a change in behaviour explaining that people should be judged on their potentials not their physical disabilities because some people might not be physically challenged but could be the worse spouses.
She gave a reminder that even sighted people asked for help to manage their homes and take care of their families so the case of the disabled persons should not be seen as something that was out of the ordinary if they also asked for help.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Tema.
Construction of a major underground stormwater drain along the Dr. Busia Highway within the Kaneshie enclave will commence on September 7, 2026.
The Project Coordinator for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, Dr. Kwadwo Ohene Sarfo, announced this at a special media briefing on Wednesday.
According to him, the works will involve the construction of a double-cell underground rectangular drain measuring approximately 10 metres wide and 1.95 kilometres long, stretching from Pamprom Junction to First Light Junction.
The new drain will replace the existing two 1.2-metre diameter pipes, which are inadequate to carry the volume of stormwater in the area.
Dr. Sarfo said the drain will connect at one end to the recently completed section within the Accra Academy campus and at the other end to the existing drain at Pamprom Junction.
He said the construction is expected to run from September 2026 to October 2027.
The project forms part of government’s broader flood prevention and mitigation programme aimed at addressing perennial flooding in Accra.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The former Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, has withdrawn from the party’s National Chairmanship race.
In a statement issued yesterday, Chairman Wontumi who is currently serving a 20-year jail term said his decision was driven by his love for the party and his unwillingness to let his personal circumstances distract the NPP from its rebuilding efforts.
“There are moments in the life of a man when the heart wants to continue, but duty demands sacrifice. Moments when one must quietly set aside personal ambition, not because the dream has died, but because the family he loves must not be made to carry his burden. Today, I find myself at such a painful moment,” he wrote.
He disclosed that after many nights of prayer, sober reflection and consultations with his family, legal team, party elders, campaign team and trusted supporters, he concluded that his present situation must not become an additional burden on the NPP.
“This is not the decision my heart desired, but sometimes, true love requires us to release what we deeply want in order to protect what we love even more,” he added.
Recounting his years of service, Chairman Wontumi said he had served the party with everything within him, walking through heat and rain, travelling to remote communities and standing with the grassroots in both victory and defeat.
“For many years, I have served the NPP with everything within me… The NPP is not merely a political party to me. It is my family. It is my home. It is a cause to which I have dedicated a significant part of my life,” he stated.
He explained that the party, already carrying the pain of electoral defeat and the huge responsibility of preparing for the future, should not be made to carry his personal weight.
“That is why I cannot allow my present situation or personal ambition to distract the party from the difficult work of rebuilding. I cannot ask the party to carry my weight when it is already carrying the pain of defeat and the enormous responsibility of preparing for the battle ahead. I would rather carry this pain quietly than allow the party I love to suffer because of me,” he said.
He further sympathized with his supporters across the 16 regions, acknowledging that the decision would be painful for many who had sacrificed for his campaign.
“To my teeming supporters across all sixteen regions, I know this message will hurt. I know many of you will read it with tears in your eyes because I understand the sacrifices you have made for this journey,” he said.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
