Editorial
The Ghana Cedi – A mirage?
Dear Editor,
Having the Ghana cedi with you is like beholding a mirage ahead of you. It may come to you in very bulk quantities but its strength is fleeting when you analyse your daily cost and expenditure.
There are basic needs in life. Everyone has a need. Needs are real and they must be met. Our needs may vary from food, to good clothing, to a comfortable shelter – a cosy place to accommodate yourself, to good means of transportation, to costs of getting good education or higher degrees, to settling telephone, electricity, gas and water bills amongst others.
One must eat good and healthy foods to stay fit and strong. These comprise vegetables and fruits, carbohydrates and cereals, legumes, fish, meat to mention a few. Yet all these come at a cost.
Your means of transportation from one point to another to get to work or to pursue an important transaction would be either your own car or a public transportation system. Just imagine you ply from Tabora to Kaneshie both close points in Accra. Your Uber costs would be GH¢ 30 cedis to Kaneshie and GH¢ 30 cedis back to Tabora, totalling GH¢ 60 cedis.
You realise after getting back to Tabora that you have to quickly go back to Kaneshie because you left an important transaction untouched or that you did a wrong transaction on your first trip.
You would end up spending GH¢ 120 in all covering the entire trip. How much do you have to spend or spare in a day? Yet this is a dire need.
Next, is the cost of raising a family. Most pre-schools take about GH GH¢ 5,000 per term. So , assuming you have three or more children the cost you incur on their education would be tens of thousands of Ghana cedis per term.
The average Ghanaian marries at age 30. Being 30 years at the point of marriage implies you have 30 more years to retirement ( for males ) and 35 more years( for females).This is how the working career of an average Ghanaian professional looks after marriage. At retirement it is likely some of your wards or kids would be studying in the university or would be at the starting point of their working career having just completed the university.
As you picture all these, could luxury be enjoyed at the point of retirement? What other investment opportunities or options would be available so your money today would be much worth better for you tomorrow?
Farming, a private business or a chain of private businesses like owning a shop, a school or a hospital? The issue is that the strength of the cedi may suggest that you think your dreams through with proper planning, prayer and preparation.
Ebenezer K N Baiden-Amissah
P O Box LG 1254
Legon, Accra.
Telephone +233245310380
Dear Editor,
I AM writing to draw your attention to the inadequate street lights in some parts of Wawase, a situation that continues to pose serious concerns for residents.
Street lights play a crucial role in ensuring safety and security within a community. Unfortunately, several areas in Wawase are completely without functioning street lights.
This has made movement at night very difficult and dangerous, especially for workers, students, and traders who return home late.
The lack of proper lighting has also created an enabling environment for criminal activities such as theft and harassment. Residents often live in fear, and some are forced to limit their movements after dark. Additionally, poor visibility increases the risk of road accidents, putting both pedestrians and drivers at risk.
It is concerning that despite the growing population and development in Wawase, this basic infrastructure issue remains unresolved.
I would like to appeal to the relevant authorities, including the local assembly and electricity providers, to urgently address this problem by installing new street lights and repairing faulty ones.
Ensuring adequate street lights will not only improve security but also enhance the overall quality of life for residents in the area.
Gwen Mensah, Agona Swedru
Dear Editor,
FOR some time now, I have been deeply concerned about the state of the Kaneshie footbridge, which has over the years developed cracks, exposing some rusted metal parts and raising safety concerns.
It is, therefore, welcome news for daily users of the facility like myself that a team from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), led by the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), visited the facility and announced a temporary closure to allow for maintenance work to be carried out.
While I wish to commend the Assembly for the move, I believe it has been long overdue.
I often find it difficult to understand why, as a country, we sit, wait, and watch for preventable incidents or tragedies to happen before we react. I say this because the issue of the bad state of the Kaneshie footbridge has been one that has been re-echoed by many who use it on a daily basis.
I believe that as the Assembly looks to start the maintenance works on the footbridge, it is also important for it and other Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to pay attention to other footbridges across the country that are in a similar state.
The time has come for Ghana, as a country, to be more proactive than reactive.
I will also urge the assemblies to deploy their respective teams to always check on footbridges across the country to ensure that they are in good shape to avoid any tragedy that could lead to the loss of human lives.
From Fafa, Kaneshie
