Editorial
The National Cathedral, a novel idea?
● Let’s support construction of the National Cathedral
Dear Editor,
Building a National Cathedral is not just novel but a good proposal for which we should all lend our support in cash and kind to get it quickly done.
Someone must always set the pace and imagine what could make our society better — something that could properly represent our passion for godly worship.
Every politician in Africa and Ghana should embrace this idea. We should see the African Union leaders speak positively about it. We should see them bringing in their quota sums of cash to speedily get it done.
So that when they are also pursuing a worthy cause, Ghana’s political leaders, the incumbent and those wishing to someday be in power through free and fair democratic means would also lend their morale support and helping hand.
It is a place where those in power and those who would be in power someday regardless of their political stance would converge to hold public Christian meetings.
The edifice would not be a denominational meeting place per se but a national gathering place. It is a place where all of us would accord our Heavenly Maker the respect and honour He deserves.
The religious groups in Ghana may have their places of worship but the National Cathedral would draw God’s attention to this country as a common people.
What we lack now is adequate funds but have we done enough and proper consultation amongst ourselves? What about the Ghanaians in the diaspora? What about our political parties? Has the National Patriotic Party, the National Democratic Congress, the Convention’s People’s Party to mention a few each brought in their contributions?
Have we also considered that Christianity is everywhere across the globe and that serving our Maker well is the common denominator in the hearts and minds amongst all believers of God?
In the United States alone statistics show that some of the churches have so many conferences and conference heads.
Now the questions to ask ourselves is, when the political and religious leaders of the countries in the west and other parts of our globe visit Ghana for a personal vacation or to perform official responsibilities and duties where would they most happily want to worship?
I am not aware if Ghanaians in the diaspora could access a link of the Government of Ghana’s revenue mobilisation website to make donations with their credit cards towards building projects in Ghana like the National Cathedral for instance. This should be done and alongside others projects.
Ebenezer K N Baiden-Amissah
P O Box LG 1254
Legon, Accra.
0245310380
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.
