Editorial
Make Mother’s Day special
Mother’s Day is commemorated worldwide tomorrow. It is a wonderful day to honour mothers everywhere for the special role they have played in our lives over the years.
We must endeavour to make a mother happy on this special day, whether she is your biological mother, aunt, stepmother, grandmother, or another mother figure.
Mothers are the backbone of society; they start in the home and extend across communities and the nation.
Many are the struggles that mothers go through as they raise their children with unwavering love, cherishing, educating, training, and disciplining them so they become responsible adults.
Being a mother is unique and undoubtedly no mean achievement. It is time to honour mothers for their unwavering devotion and affection, which have greatly influenced how our lives have turned out.
Some mothers have raised and mothered children from all walks of life in addition to their biological children. Many orphans have benefited from their mother figures’ selfless affection.
When giving birth, mothers experience a great deal of suffering; some survive, but some pass away, leaving their children and other family members in excruciating misery.
After losing their spouses, some mothers experienced a great deal of suffering, rejection, insomnia, and other difficulties. These women then became single mothers and raised their children to become responsible people on their own.
Mothers sacrifice a great deal for their family, and in some cases, even when their spouses are still alive, they are the primary breadwinners.
Some mothers engage in menial jobs such as sweeping the streets, going from house to house washing people’s clothes, and completing cleaning tasks in order to make ends meet and guarantee that their children have enough.
The Spectator urges all to plan a treat for a mother tomorrow, if you can, take her out for lunch or supper; otherwise, spend time together at home eating special meal, drinking, and having fun.
You still have the option to surprise your mother with something lovely. Buy your mother a card, fragrant soap, flowers, perfume, clothes, food items such as provisions, jewelry, even a phone, or other gifts if you can afford.
What matters most is not the cost but the thought and love behind whatever you decide to give her. Or you could find out what she likes and buy it for her.
As mothers play diverse and unending roles, let us celebrate and honour them tomorrow for their commitment, love, and care.
Editorial
Urgent call to address sanitation, environmental neglect at Legon City Campus, Makola-Tudu Junction
Dear Editor
Ghana is grappling with mounting sanitation and environmental neglect and as a concerned citizen and advocate for a cleaner, safer and more presentable academic environment, I feel compelled to highlight disturbing issues I encountered during a recent visit to the enclave of Workers College, currently operating as Legon City Campus of the University of Ghana as well as Accra Central, specifically the stretch from Makola towards Tudu, just after the Ghana National Fire Service office.
At the Legon City Campus, formerly known as Workers College, widespread overgrowth of weeds along campus walls and walkways poses both safety and structural risks.
The unchecked vegetation is encroaching on pedestrian pathways and threatening the stability of surrounding walls.
Behind the campus, near the road to Adabraka and Liberia Road, garbage and overgrown weeds have turned the area into an eyesore, undermining the prestige of one of Ghana’s premier universities.
The environmental degradation reflects poorly on the institution’s leadership and jeopardizes student and community health.
I would like to urge the University of Ghana Estate Department to act immediately, clearing the weeds, reinforcing structural elements, cleaning the garbage-strewn areas, and establishing a consistent maintenance schedule.
This will ensure safety, institutional pride and civic responsibility.
In Accra Central, a similar crisis is festering. A growing heap of refuse near the Makola-Tudu Junction, just past the Ghana National Fire Service office has overwhelmed pedestrian walkways and spilled into vehicular lanes.
This not only causes human and traffic congestion but also creates a hazardous public health situation in one of the city’s busiest commercial zones.
As a tour guide and advocate for Ghana’s tourism industry, this development has damaging impact on the country’s image.
Tourists encountering filth in the capital’s core are left with a negative impression, counteracting national efforts to boost tourism.
I therefore call on the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Osu Klottey Municipal Assembly, and sanitation agencies to enforce waste management laws, improve public hygiene infrastructure and revive the National Sanitation Day initiative to foster civic responsibility.
It is time for authorities at all levels to demonstrate leadership and restore dignity to these vital spaces. The status quo is no longer acceptable.
Frederick Nortey (Traveler, Tour Guide, Blogger, Writer)
Accra
Editorial
Renovate Efua Sutherland Children’s Park
The Efua Sutherland Children’s Park at West Ridge in the Greater Accra Region, now in ruins, needs renovations.
The once-vibrant recreational centre for children, families, students, and tourists is now in a state of neglect, according to our reporter who visited the place.
Efua Sutherland, a well-known playwright and children’s author, is honoured by the Park, an important recreational and cultural area. Her work with children made her a notable figure in Ghanaian literature and education.
The Park used to be well-known and a popular destination for schoolchildren, particularly during vacation, but today visitors are met with outdated machinery and dilapidated infrastructure.
A vital green space in the city, the park provides a calm setting for families and children to unwind, play, and take part in cultural events. It is relevant because it fosters community life, offers recreational opportunities, hosts cultural events, and connects people to their Ghanaian heritage.
Additionally, both locals and visitors may easily access it due to its central location. Nothing seems to have been done to update the space or give it a facelift.
During The Spectator’s tour of the facility it was observed that the 14.83-acre playground’s equipment has rusted and turned into death traps instead of serving the intended purpose of entertaining guests.
Children are put off by the condition of the equipment because they are afraid of getting hurt. Inquiries at the location also showed that few people visit to inquire about the place and that its current condition makes it unappealing for event planners to host special events there. This calls into question the country’s dedication to maintaining such iconic and public areas.
There is an urgent need to address the terrible situation.
In order to ensure that events are hosted in the park, The Spectator urges the Ministry of Gender, Women and Social Protection (MCWSP), which is in charge of overseeing the facility, to collaborate with investors and other stakeholders to give it a facelift.
We think that if the Park is renovated, it will draw more event planners and regain its reputation as a communal hub that promotes cultural pride and a sense of belonging.
