Editorial
Put your faith and prayer into action (Part 2)
Ghanaians are known to be religious people who believe in God and follow religious practices in line with their beliefs.
We have Christians, Muslims and traditional believers. There are others who share faith in other religious practices, but no matter the religious faith or beliefs, Ghanaians must do all they can to put their faith into action.
It is not just enough to believe in God and keep to religious practices such as going to church every day in the case of Christians or regularly visiting mosques as seen in the case of Muslims.
Similarly, traditional believers should not just be seen to pour libations in line with their beliefs or engage in some other religious practices without showing real love to their fellow men and women found in their communities.
Being religious is good, but it should be able to transform our behaviour into meaningful actions such as eschewing social and financial vices. Again, it is important for religious people to participate actively in programmes and activities that will bring about rapid socioeconomic development in the country.
If all religious people can act in this way, it will go a long way toward overcoming many of the problems we face in this country. The issue of bribery and corruption is tearing the nation apart. However, many of the negative tendencies in society are usually undertaken by people who share faith in various beliefs related to religion.
It is unfortunate that religious people such as Muslims, Christians and other believers engage in practices that go contrary to their faith or beliefs. This is not to say that people of different faiths or beliefs are bad people who are not fit to live in the society.
Many of them are doing their best to eschew corruption, embezzlement of funds, dishonestly thwarting justice, or, in one way or another, contributing to the socioeconomic degradation of the country.
Within the Christian community, the clergy are heard preaching the word and encouraging their followers to do what is right for the purposes of national development.
In the same way, Muslim leaders and Imams teach their followers to strictly follow the Quran so as to keep away from what is ungodly. Traditional believers are also expected to lead good lives in line with their religious beliefs.
The Spectator believes that all Ghanaians, irrespective of their beliefs, must put into practice their religious faith and beliefs so that they can be seen to be living upright lives within and outside their places of worship.
We, therefore, expect all Ghanaians to eschew what is negative so that cheating, stealing, discrimination, destruction of one another and all other social vices can be minimised, if not completely eliminated.
If everyone, whether religious or non-religious, will keep to this principle and practice of doing only what is good, the nation will soon see tremendous growth in all sectors of the economy. When this happens, the gross domestic product will increase and national welfare will also increase in a way that will be good for every person in this great nation of ours.
The challenge is great, but it can be achieved if we all come together to follow our religious and non-religious beliefs to promote common growth in line with the overall national agenda.
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.
