Editorial
Let’s regulate social media use
Dear Editor,
I wish to express disappointment about the way and manner social media got awash with gory images from the crash site of the military helicopter on Wednesday.
The accident took the lives of all eight members on board including two ministers of state, Dr Edward Omane Boamah and Alhaji Dr Mohammed Murtala.
Moments after the news broke out, pictures and videos of burning victims dominated the various media platforms with no regard to the state of the respective families directly connected to the victims.
Ethically, that was bad, and for agencies responsible for regulating the media space, this should be the straw that hits the camel’s back in initiating processes to put in place some controls.
Recently, an international footballer, Diogo Jota from Portugal was involved in a fatal accident with his brother. Both lost their lives in the fatal road accident but nothing of this sort happened.
There were no pictures from the accident scene nor images of the body although there were rescuers at the scene.
With the advent of blogging, there seem a sudden rush by account holders to be the first to break news. These people often disregard basic ethics just to be able to direct traffic to their platforms.
I think the authorities in charge must find a way to regulate, and when needed crack the whip if people were found to have gone against the law.
Mark Addo,
Kasoa
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
