Editorial
Parents must support their children with special needs
Overcoming stigmatisation at all levels in society is one campaign almost every civil society organisation is tackling.
From menstrual hygiene, breast cancer, HIV/AIDS to crime-related stigma; these organisations have gone to extreme lengths to create awareness to make it easier for victims to be accepted in the society.
It is, therefore, strange to read about a call on parents that takes their children with special needs to Special or Care Homes to be catered for and eventually, abandon them.
That is wickedness at the highest level.
According to a report published by this paper, some parents and guardians have turned these special schools into ‘dumping grounds’ where they take their wards and leave them to their fate.
These parents refuse to visit the children for the period they stay at the facility and care less about their state of health.
The worse of all is that such parents would not even attend meeting of parents to discuss the welfare of these children that needs the support of their parents to survive.
The Spectator finds the situation very offensive and unacceptable considering the fact that these children have no hand in their formation and did nothing to contribute to their present form.
The timing also make it very startling because of the several campaigns on this social canker called stigmatisation.
The truth is, we have gone past the era where a certain level of stigmatisation was allowed because the mode of transmission of certain diseases were actually not clear.
In this era, there is information everywhere on how people who had been released from detentions, people who have recovered from certain sicknesses etc should be integrated into society.
So, having overcome some challenges, The Spectator wonders why parents in this age would ‘dump’ their wards somewhere.
This paper, therefore, affirms the call on such parents to rather encourage their special children so that their talents can be harnessed
Editorial
Unhygienic food selling environment: A serious concern that must be addressed

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
Editorial
Provide adequate protection for footballers
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
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