Editorial
Prioritise saving lives in emergency situations over taking photos, videos
In the past, people were prepared to act quickly in dire circumstances, like breaking up fights, and lives were saved as a result.
However, in this day and age when everything is trending on social media onlookers concentrate on taking photos or videos rather than intervening to save the lives of people in distress.
Traditional media outlets and social media users compete with one another to be the first to report on a story.
Instead of acting swiftly to remedy the situation, viewers’ attention is diverted by the impulse to document a moment of injustice or danger. It is currently a widespread practice that requires comprehensive attention.
In numerous instances, the individuals who took pictures and shared them on social media had the opportunity to save lives. When you have the ability to save the life of someone who is about to die, why must you record them?
Our culture now prioritises being viral over lending a hand to others. Sometimes people witness emergencies, but they would rather wait for someone else to take action.
One typical example is a video of two students fighting that went viral on social media lately. Surprisingly, their friends were videoing the fight until something unexpected happened. Similar circumstances have resulted in fatalities in the past.
The Spectator disapproves of this behaviour because life is more valuable than images and videos and that the people who took the photos and videos could have saved a life if they had acted sooner.
Even while some might contend that images and videos can be used as proof in investigations into an incident, there are times when saving a life is more important than videoing, particularly when there is a risk to life and the only person present is the one taking the photo or recording.
Since saving a life has a significant impact on the person, their family, and the community, it is thought to be the most morally just thing to do.
The Spectator believes that while images and videos are useful and can be used to swiftly convey important information to others, the time, effort, and tools required to capture images or videos could be employed to save lives in an emergency.
When a life-threatening situation arises, we should first contact for assistance from the police or ambulance service, or if we are able, provide prompt assistance before anything else happens.
In an emergency, let us be Good Samaritans and put saving lives ahead of snapping photos and videos.
Dear Editor,
Over the past few months, the ages of some drivers of commercial vehicles continue to baffle me.
This is common during weekends when one boards any of the commercial vehicles – be it trotros and okada.
I remember, I boarded a taxi from the Accra Central area towards the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area. When I sat in the vehicle, I realised the driver was a young boy. Specifically, he said he was 18.
I know our laws do not permit youth under the age of 21 to be driving; that is clearly against Ghana’s Road Traffic laws for operating commercial vehicles.
Some commuters have even had confrontations with station masters over the issue and have refused to board vehicles driven by underage individuals, despite the risk of arriving late for work.
This situation is deeply disturbing because it puts the lives of passengers and other road users at risk.
No matter how skilled such drivers may be, allowing underage persons to operate commercial vehicles is wrong and unlawful. Laws governing road safety are meant to protect lives, and ignoring them only increases the chances of accidents and loss of lives.
I therefore urge the relevant authorities, especially the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, to strictly enforce the age requirements for commercial driving in the country.
Baba
Labadi
The advantages of focusing on girls have been evident over the years. However, current research indicates that the statistics pertaining to boys are still declining.
Approximately 69 percent of boys and 73 percent of girls finish primary school. While Senior High School (SHS) enrollment trends have lately changed, with females significantly outnumbering males (about 110 girls to every 100 boys), Junior High School (JHS) gender parity remains stable, with the Gender Parity Index (GPI) remaining between 1.00 and 1.03.
The Gender Parity Index (GPI) indicates parity between girls and boys.
Although encouraging education for girls is essential for Ghana’s development, the strong emphasis has unintentionally led to inequalities for boys.
Many stakeholders worry that affirmative action and unequal resource distribution put males at risk, which can occasionally lead to increased dropout rates and behavioural issues in specific neighbourhoods.
There has been a lot of discussion among Ghanaian sociologists and educators about the disproportionate support given to girls and how it affects boys.
They claim that the majority of scholarships and special facilities are frequently disproportionately given to girls, which boy child advocates contend makes young men feel ignored or disadvantaged.
Due to these differences, Apostle Professor Kwabena Agyapong-Kodua, Vice Chancellor of Pentecost University, has voiced serious concerns and is pushing for a deliberate discussion about the education and development of boys in order to build stronger families and societies.
The statement was made by Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua during a seminar hosted by the Church of Pentecost Schools Outreach Ministry in Accra on May 16, which is International Day of the Boy Child.
It was organised in association with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry and the Ghana Education Service (GES) under the theme “Flourish and Thrive: Investing and Unleashing Boys for Strong Families and Communities.”
Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua revealed that many young males are vulnerable due to inadequate mentoring, a decline in schooling, negative social media influences, and emotional neglect.
Additionally, he stated that the boy child faced numerous difficulties, including aggression, substance addiction, academic decline, emotional neglect, and the lack of strong role models, as a result of the focus shifting to the girl child.
He worries that since boys are essential to the development of the country, they should not be overlooked in discussions about leadership, education, family stability, and national reform.
The Spectator agrees with Apostle Prof. Agyapong-Kodua and believes that while it is important to train girls, neglecting boys can impede social advancement by causing differences in behaviour and education between young men and women.
“If we don’t make an effort social media will train our children for us. We’re not saying they shouldn’t use social media, but we should help them get the information they need to succeed in life,” he said.
The Spectator believes that the GES would adopt gender-responsive education in order to guarantee that classroom instruction meets the requirements of both boys and girls equally.
Let’s continue to be dedicated to making sure that no child is left behind.
