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Who ‘owns’ the front seat of a private vehicle …wife or mother?
Mr. Peter Tweneboah Mensah
The front seat of a private vehicle has been the centre of controversy in many homes. This seat, which is beside the driver’s seat has over the years created tension between people.
One of such is between mother-in-laws and wives who feel they are entitled to sit in front whenever the two occupy the vehicle.
For the mothers (in-laws) because the driver, who is most often also the owner of the vehicle, is their son they feel they must at all cost occupy the front seat to feel dignified because they toiled to make him who he is.
The wives on the other hand are of the opinion that since their husbands own the vehicle, they are co-owners and have the right to decide where they wish to sit.
It is not clear what exactly is on the front passenger seat of a vehicle to warrant such struggles and even subsequently create tension at home.
In an interaction with a Family Life and Marriage Counsellor, Mr Peter Tweneboah Mensah on Monday at Ashaiman, he said there was no need for any debate on the subject about who should sit by the driver.
“That seat is for the wife. If it is her husband’s vehicle, it means it also belongs to her so she should decide where to sit,” he said.
According to Mr Mensah, if the wife decides not to sit on the front passenger seat it is her decision so no one should feel entitled and even “fight” her over it.
He said driving in the same car creates an opportunity for couples to spend time together to discuss issues.
“If someone else is occupying the front seat how will the couple communicate effectively,?” he questioned.
“Does he have to keep turning his head to talk to his wife? The Bible says the two shall be one, so it applies in many areas and this is no exception.
No one should try to separate a couple,” he said.
If husbands explain their wives’ position clearly to their mothers, it would reduce unnecessary tensions in families.
The Family Life and Marriage Counsellor said wives must extend the same courtesies to their husbands when they drive.
“I prefer sitting in front to watch the road and alert my husband of any impending dangers when he is driving because he is often absent-minded. It is just for safety sake and not dominance as some people think,” Mrs Angela Manu, a wife said in an interview with The Spectator.
A mother, Madam Faustina Adjei whose three sons own vehicles said sitting in front of her sons vehicles when they are drive makes her feel fulfilled as a mother which she wishes no one takes away from her.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Ashaiman
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
