Editorial
Teshie Demo: Protesters must be civil in their demand
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Hundreds of residents joined the protest which was generally peaceful
Dear Editor,
The people of Teshie have the right to demonstrate but the level of lawlessness exhibited on Tuesday during the ‘fix our roads’ demo in the area is despicable, to say the least.
Some protesters on the day, I observed, had blocked some roads compelling commercial drivers heading for Accra Central and other destinations to find alternative routes.
As if that was not enough, some young men who had packed themselves in 207 vehicles told commercial drivers not to park or pick passengers at specific locations in the area. I witnessed how at least two commercial drivers who were unaware of this “directive” had their tyres deflated by the young men who went on rampage.
The vehicle I boarded on my way to work that day managed to swerve the so-called ‘task force’ which was preventing commercial drivers from picking up passengers but just when we thought we were out of the ‘danger zone,’ a rickety vehicle from nowhere crossed our driver in an alley and before our driver could explain himself, one of the front tyres of our ‘vehicle’ had been deflated.
Another ‘trotro’ driver, following us closely, also had three of his car tyres deflated. Commuters, aboard either of the two vehicles, including myself, stood by the roadside and wasted at least 20 minutes while we watched our driver replace the tyres.
About 9 am on Wednesday morning, a similar incident happened on my way to work when another group of young men stopped our commercial driver for violating the “no parking” order by organisers of the protest. But this time, our driver intuitively sped off before the men attempted to deflate the tyres of the vehicle.
Unreasonably, the “taskforce” of about five men, wearing reflective jackets, chased our vehicle and attempted to push us off the road starting from the LEKMA road all the way to the Kpeshie Lagoon, where traffic had started building up.
Our driver and other passengers engaged in a heated exchange with the hooligans who insisted on effecting “arrest,” because he had picked a passenger at an “unapproved zone” at Teshie.
I did not follow them to see how it ended but the question on the lips of passengers, including myself, was how could a group of people arrogate powers to themselves just because they were protesting against some of the roads in bad shape in their locality?
We wondered who could have sanctioned the road blocks and the “no parking operation” to the extent that a supposed “taskforce” could decide to chase a commercial vehicle or driver and endanger the lives of passengers on board?
I am not too clear how long the protest by the residents is supposed to last but I wish to bring these unlawful incidents to the attention of authorities in the locality and reiterate that individuals or groups who lead the demonstration cannot act lawlessly even as they express their concerns.
The concerns may be legitimate but organisers must be civil in the protest. Commercial drivers who ply the route in Teshie must be allowed to go about their business in peace. It is illogical for what is supposed to be a peaceful protest be turned into “war” with commercial drivers.
Franklin Gyamfi Mensah
Nungua-Addogonno,
Accra.
Following the decision to reintroduce the Regional Diary, it has become necessary to provide clear editorial direction on the modalities and content focus for each edition.
To make the Regional Diary more compelling, engaging and reflective of developments in the regions, the Editorial Conference has agreed that the first edition for each region should feature an exclusive interview with the political head of the region—the Regional Minister.
To this end it is expected that the interview will be anchored on the broader government agenda of “Resetting,” with particular emphasis on the administration’s performance nearly two years into its tenure.
The interview should provide an opportunity to assess the government’s interventions in the region, while allowing the Regional Minister to articulate the administration’s successes, challenges and priorities for the years ahead.
Among other things, the interview should explore:
- Key achievements and major interventions since the administration assumed office;
- The impact of government policies and programmes on the people of the region;
- Major challenges confronting the region and how the Regional Coordinating Council is addressing them;
- The status of major development projects and initiatives; Job creation, investment and economic opportunities within the region;
- The Minister’s priorities for the remainder of the administration’s tenure; and Other pressing issues of interest to the people of the region.
Each correspondent is encouraged to approach the interviews with depth and journalistic excellence, asking direct and substantive questions that elicit specific responses and go beyond political rhetoric.
This initiative presents an important opportunity for us to strengthen the Ghanaian Times’ presence and relevance in the regions, reclaim our position as a leading national daily and deepen our relationship with regional authorities and other key stakeholders.
I am confident that, with our collective commitment and professionalism, the Regional Diary can become a distinctive and influential component of the Ghanaian Times’ coverage.
I remain available for further discussions and welcome ideas and suggestions that will help improve the initiative.
Counting on your cooperation.
Thank you.
ACTING NEWS EDITOR
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Dear Editor,
Going viral can make someone famous overnight, but fame alone cannot build a sustainable entertainment industry.
Ghana is blessed with talented musicians, actors, comedians, content creators and other creative professionals. Social media has also created opportunities for young people to showcase their talents to audiences beyond Ghana.
However, we must ask whether we are building lasting careers or simply celebrating the next person to trend online.
Today, a song, skit or video can become popular within hours and disappear from public attention just as quickly. This culture of virality can create the impression that numbers, followers and online attention are the only measures of success.
Our creative industry needs to go beyond that. Young creative need proper management, business knowledge, financial literacy, education and opportunities to develop their skills. They also need structures that can help them turn talent into sustainable careers.
Ghana has the talent to become a major force in Africa’s creative economy. But talent without investment, structure and professional development can easily be wasted
Let us therefore stop asking only, “Who is trending?”, and begin asking, “Who is building a lasting career?” Our creative deserves more than temporary applause, they deserve an industry capable of turning Ghanaian talent into sustainable success.
From Elijah Arkoh
Kaneshie.
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