Editorial
Let’s sustain ‘Reset’ edition of Indece Day celebration
Dear Editor,
I write to congratulate the government and the security services for the impressive organisation of this year’s Independence Day celebration.
The 68th edition of the event is what I call the ‘Reset’ edition due to the major cut it suffered regarding the massive reduction in terms of resources and personnel in a bid to control government expenditure.
That notwithstanding, it proved to be outstanding as the few selected forces and school children lived up to the occasion.
At least we were spared of the long session of March past by several school contingents, only for the security services to replicate the entire exercise.
In the end, it leaves a lot of people – school children, service men and women and even audience so exhausted and fatigued.
For the school children, they are lucky to get the following day as a holiday but others would continue with work.
I want to suggest that in order to save cost and reduce this exhaustion, we adopt the reduced or reset edition style except for major milestones like Golden Jubilee (which we have gone past), Diamond Jubilee, Centenary celebration and so forth.
Additionally, the regional celebrations should be sustained or perhaps reviewed as it becomes worrying sometimes seeing the children kept in the scorching sun for hours.
As the occasion coincides with the Heritage Month celebration, schools can be empowered by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to partner organisation with particular expertise of interest to organise educative programmes for the school children.
Other activities like the Armed Forces Open Day should also be sustained while the other security agencies like the Police, Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) Ghana Prisons Service (GPS) Customs, now GRA must be encouraged to embrace the idea.
That would widen the scope of choices for the participants.
It was also gratifying watching the living past presidents, J.A Kufour and Nana Akufo-Addo shared the same podium on such a historic day.
Prince Amartey,
Dodowa
Editorial
Fix railway crossing point on Circle-Kaneshie road
Dear Editor,
After the construction of the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Accra Dubai), Ghanaian were full of belief that it could solve at least a few of the problems drivers and commuters faced.
But currently, any regular user of the area would confirm that things have rather skyrocketed.
Sanitation is a big issue as the area. Traffic congestion has become something else while street lights and traffic lights in the area are nonfunctional.
Making matters worse is the regular traffic on the stretch of the Circle-Kaneshie caused by the bad nature of the railway crossing.
It is so bad that motorist are forced to slow down to cross from whichever direction they are coming from.
During the rainy season, it becomes worse as vehicles break down in the large pool of water that gathers at the place.
I wish to appeal to the Roads and Highways ministry or whichever agency is responsible for road maintenance to fix that part of the road.
As a result, public transport operators are forced to divert routes to avoid that area and in the process, causing commotion between drivers and passengers.
I feel that problem must be fixed before the rains set in. Thank you for the space.
Awuah Martin,
Kasoa, C/R
Editorial
Make celebration of Heritage Month compulsory
Heritage or Ghana Month is an annual event held in March to commemorate Ghana’s Independence and rich cultural heritage.
The event, which is celebrated across the country is gradually gaining momentum as schools and organisations have been patronising the event with various activities and programmes displaying Ghana’s rich culture.
Recently, in a vibrant display of Ghana’s culture students of Antoa Senior High School in the Ashanti Region joined forces with the Centre for National Culture (CNC) to launch the 2025 Ghana Month celebration.
According to our reporter, the event was a mixture of traditional cloth demonstrations, dance lessons, poetry recitals, and proverbs competitions as students and staff donned colourful traditional attires, showcasing their rich cultural heritage with infectious enthusiasm.
Some organisation like media houses were also not left out in the celebration of Ghana Month with Newscasters dressed in their traditional attires showcasing their culture while reading the news.
Such celebrations should be encouraged as one of the excited students of Antoa SHS exclaimed, “I never knew how rich our Ghanaian culture was until today. I’m proud to be Ghanaian.” This is a testimony of how the celebration will remind students of their roots and instill in them national values.
Ghana has so many cultures which are hidden and its time to make these cultures to project our rich Ghanaian culture to the outside world.
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) should collaborate with the Ghana Education Service (GES) and Ghana Dance Ensemble to make the Ghana Month more visible in schools by organising activities to educate students on Ghanaian cultural values and norms, to promote national pride and identity.
The Spectator encourages the organisers to extend the celebration to more schools. This can be done through debates, essay writing competitions, among others to share Ghana’s rich heritage. It will help to revive the cultural spirit among the youth to become ambassadors of Ghana’ culture.
GTA must also take advantage of Ghana Month and team up with the hospitality industry such as restaurants, hoteliers, Chop Bar operators, among others to organise a traditional cuisine festival like cooking and eating competitions among organisations and associations to boost tourism in Ghana. Such competitions will give people insight into the preparations of Ghanaian local foods and drinks, and promote healthy living in families. The fashion industry should also come on board to help take Ghana Month a notch higher.
In the words of the Acting Regional Director of the CNC in the Ashanti Region, Mr Peter Kofi Marfo “Let us Wear Ghana, Eat Ghana, See Ghana, Speak Ghana, Hear and Dance Ghana, together, we’ll keep our cultural flame burning bright.”
The Spectator is hopeful that by making the celebration of Ghana Month compulsory. Ghanaians will remain committed to promoting their rich culture and heritage, for future generations.
