Editorial
RISING COVID-19 ACTIVE CASES
It is becoming increasingly worrying that when it was thought that COVID-19 active cases had come as low as between 300 and 400, unexpectedly it started rising again.
The rising active cases have become a major source of concern to the leadership of the country as was pointed out by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his latest address on the pandemic to the nation. So worried was the President that he made it clear that “if the active cases continue to rise, he would have no option but to bring the country under partial lockdown as was experienced some time last year.
According to him active cases has moved from 900 last week to 1,924 this week. Indeed, the country experiences 200 new cases daily: This is very alarming.
The cases have started rising because many people no longer keep to the COVID -19 safety protocols. These include social distancing, use of nose masks, washing of hands frequently and using hand sanitisers as often as possible.
It was pointed out by President Akufo-Addo that “two weeks ago there was no critical case but we now have 33. This is very unfortunate.”
As a country we were doing very well until quite recently when the cases started rising again. During the Christmas celebrations the safety protocols were thrown overboard and this could be attributed to the current situation.
We, therefore, need to go back to the times when the safety protocols were taken seriously by all with the exception of a few unconcerned people, to ensure that the pandemic is brought under control once again.
With regard to the current wave of infection, those severely ill are youthful persons without underlying health issues. This is in contrast to previous times when those severely affected were people within the old age bracket.
Everybody in the country must take up the issue seriously and help in the fight against the pandemic since lives, when lost, cannot be revived. Simply put, life has no substitute.
It is the duty of the President to play his part to protect all Ghanaians but at the same time every individual also has a part to play in order to make assurances of our safety double sure.
The situation is gradually growing from bad to worse because deaths have now moved from 338 to 352 and that 13 out of the 16 regions have recorded active cases.
We all have a role to play to bring the pandemic under control. As the President rightly pointed out, our goal should be the attainment of zero recording of the disease.
It is only when we’re able to attain this that we can say we have fought a good battle and won, and then all Ghanaians will be the winners.
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.
