Editorial
My Ghana card at last!
Dear Editor,
About two weeks ago, I wrote about the “needless hustle” citizens were going through in order to acquire the Ghana Card. Well, my persistence paid off last Friday, March 18, 2022, after I spent another week “chasing” the card at the registration centre in my district.
The officer at the centre found the card on Monday, March 14, 2022 after I submitted my details but I could not do the biometric verification that day as there were many other residents in a queue.
Friday morning, however, was less busy for me so I managed to spend about an hour in a queue until it was my turn to take my card. Capturing my fingerprints (also known as biometric verification) took less than five minutes after which my card was given to me.
I left the centre again wondering why we must spend several hours in a queue when, indeed, the verification and issuance of the card did not take much time to complete.
While in the queue, I heard an officer express worry over the thousands of cards that had not been picked up by the owners. I asked myself: “how would they pick them up when they have to spend many hours or even a whole day in a queue?”
I believe the National Identification Authority can do better and ensure there is no undue delay when registrants show up at various centres to pick their Ghana cards. Their details had already been captured at the initial stages off the registration, therefore, issuance of the printed cards need not become another hurdle.
Prince Opoku-Gyamerah,
Teshie–First Junction.
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
