Editorial
Let’s be careful on our roads
Road crashes have claimed the lives of many since the year began and the current incessant accidents which occurred on our roads make the situation worrying.
One leaves the house with the hope of returning but unfortunately this becomes a mirage as the person’s life is shortened or is maimed for life through road accident.
Between January and August this year, reports say that Ghana has recorded 1,585 deaths on our roads. This involved 15,459 vehicles, 1,638 pedestrian knockdowns and 9,397 injuries.
These figures were revealed by the Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, who noted that the figures were higher compared to that of last year within the same period. She, however, noted that there had been a reduction in pedestrian knockdowns within the same period.
Although accidents cannot be predetermined, ensuring safety on our roads is key and this must be tackled urgently by involving all stakeholders to play their roles to push forward NRSA’s ‘Arrive Alive’ campaign which aims at zero accidents on our roads.
Precious lives are lost during road crashes and most of these victims are in the productive age. The repercussion is that productivity suffers and this affects families and the nation as a whole.
The negligence on the part of drivers, especially commercial drivers who mostly drive carelessly and ignore speed limits, violation of red lights, coupled with bad nature of roads, rickety vehicles, and worn-out tyres are some of the causes of accidents on our roads.
Notwithstanding that, the NRSA has revealed that most of the accidents occurred on flat and straight roads, meaning speeding and other factors played a major role.
Besides that, wrong overtaking, non-observance of road signs, drinking of alcohol prior to driving and tiredness which leads to sleeping behind the steering wheel are also factors of road accidents.
Most passengers refuse to prompt the driver when he is speeding, and this negligence affects innocent lives.
In fact, some spare drivers are not experienced and this must be discouraged. The transport unions must ensure that commercial drivers are professionals who possess the requisite licence before the person is allowed to drive.
Recently, there was public outcry on the need for pedestrian footbridges at vantage points on some highways but it is sad to note that some pedestrians have neglected the footbridges and zebra crossings, instead they have resorted to crossing major roads amid speeding vehicles at their peril. This must be checked by the law enforcement agencies and the appropriate sanctions meted to offenders to deter others.
The bad roads should be fixed regularly, with major and minor potholes filled to ensure smooth driving. Road contractors should mount speed ramps at vantage points to check speeding in communities.
Unnecessary competition among drivers as to who gets to his destination early should be avoided to prevent accidents. Those who travel on either short or long journeys must set off early and drive within the speed limits in order to get to their destinations safely.
As the election approaches and the end of the year draws nearer, The Spectator entreats all pedestrians and drivers to be disciplined on the road. Motorcyclists who do not wear their helmets should desist from that to save lives.
Award systems should be instituted to give a special package either quarterly or monthly to drivers who drive professionally.
Transport unions should collaborate with some organisations to institute measures that would check the behaviour of commercial drivers and their vehicles and organise refresher courses for drivers to upgrade their skills.
The NRSA should also intensify its road safety campaigns by collaborating with the media to sensitise the public for a positive change in attitudes towards road safety in the country.
All hands must be on deck to ensure zero accidents on our roads. Let’s be careful on our roads.
Editorial
Parents urged to take responsibility for sex education
Dr. Francis Wuobar, a Gynaecologist at the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua has urged parents to take the lead in providing sex education to their children, stressing that they were in the best position to guide them through the changes of adolescence.
According to him, sex education remained a taboo subject in most Ghanaian homes, a culture that must change to prevent children from seeking misleading information elsewhere.
“With the evolving nature of society and technological advancements, today’s children will either learn about sex on the internet or from their peers, who may offer wrong advice,” he cautioned.
Dr. Wuobar noted that the health system and society often concentrate on the reproductive stage of life, neglecting the adolescent and menopausal phases.
“When a woman reaches the reproductive period and gets pregnant, everyone rallies around her. But before that stage, during adolescence, there is little attention and guidance, which has contributed to the rising cases of teenage pregnancy,” he explained.
He observed that many adolescents lack access to counseling and adolescent clinics, creating a vacuum that forces them to explore on their own.
“The answers they seek, adults and parents are not willing to provide. Their peers, who are equally uninformed, become their only source of advice. This exploration is one of the major contributors to teenage pregnancy,” he said.
Dr. Wuobar therefore called on parents to create open and confidential spaces for discussion, where children can freely ask questions about sex, puberty, and relationships.
He emphasized that parents must help adolescents understand the consequences of unprotected sex, the changes they go through, and what choices were right or wrong.
“Today’s generation is curious and asks questions, unlike in the past when children were silent. Parents should not rebuke them but rather engage them seriously and guide them through this turbulent stage,” he advised.
He further appealed to the health sector to establish more adolescent clinics across the country to give young people safe spaces to seek information and counseling.
That, he said, would help reduce the high incidence of teenage pregnancy and support adolescents in making informed decisions about their sexual health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Editorial
Addressing unhealthy conditions at Akropong Mandela Market
Dear Editor,
The Akropong Mandela Market, a vibrant centre of commerce, has been in a terrible state for over a decade now.
Central to the problem is a public toilet located near the market, which has become a breeding ground for diseases and a source of discomfort for both food vendors and customers.
This toilet, utilised by everyone in the town, is positioned too close to the market, severely affecting the vendors who spend long hours selling their goods.
They are constantly exposed to unsanitary conditions mixed with foul odours emanating from the facility.
Agnes, a vendor at the market is sad about the apparent lack of concern from those responsible for maintaining the toilet. Despite collecting user fees, there seems to be little effort to keep the facility clean and hygienic.
The situation at the Akropong Mandela Market highlights the urgent need for effective waste management and sanitation infrastructure in public spaces.
Authorities must take immediate action to ensure the facility is regularly maintained and cleaned. Vendors and customers deserve a safe and healthy environment to conduct their daily activities.
In the meantime, the vendors are urging local government officials to intervene and find a lasting solution to this problem.
Only through collective action can the health and well-being of both vendors and customers be safeguarded to restore the Akropong Mandela Market to its former glory as a thriving commercial hub.
Addo Sarah Ansah Student,
UNIMAC–IJ(BACS26275)
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