Editorial
See something, say something
When we talk of national development, it depends on each and every person in the country, whose contribution is very necessary for the good of all.
The country comprises various regions, and each region deals with an institution that plays a crucial role in its area of operation. The country as a whole depends on the contribution of each institution.
Similarly, the economy is also made up of various sectors. Each sector also plays useful roles that contribute in one way or another to the general growth of the country.
Some of the sectors are agriculture, transportation, mining, electricity, building and construction, health, transportation, and many others. These sectors operate as institutions or organisations.
The institutions or organisations are managed by people, some of whom are good while others are bad. The problem with many people is that, when they see what is wrong in society, they fail to report it to the appropriate authorities for action to be taken. For this reason, wrongdoing and crimes continue unabated in society.
Many Ghanaians complain about our systems, stating that they don’t work to the satisfaction of everyone. This explains why many criminals go scot-free in this nation.
Even in situations where eyewitnesses who can be of help are expected to assist the police in their investigations, they refuse to cooperate, and this makes things difficult for everyone in the country. A common practice that has been observed over the years in all parts of the country is the the blame game, where everyone wants to blame somebody for wrongdoing.
However, when it comes to owning up to the truth, nobody wants to do so, and we sit to play the blame game so that we can keep ourselves out of trouble.
This is not good enough because it makes us less responsible for actions that could have been taken to prevent wrongdoings in society and help our peace-keeping institutions uncover culprits who do not work in the interest of the country.
The government is working hard to make socioeconomic development better for all Ghanaians. Unfortunately, things have not been able to move at a faster rate than we all expected.
For example, corruption is everywhere, yet many people find it difficult to report any wrongdoing to the appropriate authorities for the right actions to be taken. Also, many personnel in organisations, public and private, are aware of the stealing of funds and acts of corruption that go on in their organisations.
In spite of this, nothing is reported, and we pretend that everything is fine. There are many heads of agencies who are very corrupt and have established systems to put fear in people and prevent them from revealing their negative deeds.
The entire country must, therefore, turn a new leaf and begin to re-examine its conscience in order to uncover wrongdoers in the country.
Instead of the truth, what do we see?
In some cases, wrongdoers are shielded and protected from naming and shaming, and they are also not prosecuted in court in line with the laws of the land. This has gone on in many sectors of the country, and for this reason, the truth is no longer revealed. It is as if people prefer untruth to truth. This is very unfortunate.
Each time anybody sees something, we must be prepared to say it to the right authorities, and this is why it has been emphasised by authorities in this country that, “See something, say something.” If we can all collaborate in this way, we can go a long way toward helping develop the country in a faster way than can be imagined.
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.
