Editorial
Don’t drive under influence of illegal drugs
In view of drunkenness and drug abuse on the part of some drivers, it is necessary to promote sensitisation for road users.
Experts say alcohol dulls parts of the brain that control how the body works. It can interfere with attention, perceptual functioning, and motor skills, as well as decision-making while driving. Drinking, therefore, impairs the ability to drive and increases the risk of causing an accident.
Incredibly, some of our drivers resort to hard drugs and alcohol before getting into their vehicles at the various lorry stations. This behaviour is bad because while they think the drugs they take can make them work hard and not get tired, they rather harm them in many ways.
Though such drivers are able to work throughout the day and at night in order to make more money for themselves, this behaviour is not good but the drivers are ignorant about the effects on their own lives.
The truth is substance use can impair perception, cognition, attention, balance, coordination, and other brain functions necessary for safe driving. Driving under hard or soft drug has been linked to reckless driving, car crashes, and fatal accidents.
In light of this, The Spectator is advising all our drivers to stay away from this behaviour. When they decide to work throughout the night, their bodies get tired and they can easily break down or have accidents on the road.
The result may be unpleasant as lives can be lost. This brings sadness to many families.
As Christmas approaches, many drivers are planning to take advantage of the festive season to make more profit. They must do this through their natural strength, not by any other means.
They should avoid their usual intention to work extra hours by using hard or soft drugs like marijuana, hashish, ecstasy, and cocaine to achieve their goals.
Every driver must abstain from using these drugs.
It is also good that everyone abstains from drugs in order for our society to be free and safe.
Christmas is a season of peace. We must all work to make the season a happy, peaceful, and enjoyable occasion.
Editorial
Let’s respect the dead
Dear Editor,
Growing up as a young man, I watched how families of deceased persons paid respect to their beloved ones.
Right from the mortuary to the funeral grounds, the mortal remains of the deceased are always handled with respect to honour them.
Most of the time, individuals who visit the mortuary to bring the body of the deceased home were required to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water.
A traditional belief holds that seeing or coming into contact with dead bodies portends a bad omen and may require spiritual cleansing.
However, in recent times, I have seen a number of videos on social media where corpses are handled without care.
In some of these videos, one could see the body of the corpse carried on the shoulders of friends or being made to stand while friends and families touch and take pictures with it.
I find that weird and at the same time disturbing and thinks a lot about the health implications.
According to some health experts, such an act poses a threat to public health as one may not know the cause of the death of the deceased.
Some have predicted that Ghana could face health crisis such as disease transmission as a result of the pathogens present in decomposing bodies, if care was not taken.
As a concerned individual, I share in the view of the health experts.
I believe that if care is not taken, the actions of the youth in handling dead bodies could lead to the spread of diseases.
I, therefore urge the Ghana Health Service to take the issue seriously and address it to avoid any possible future health crisis.
Atom,
Korle-bu
Editorial
Prevent Keta Township from being engulfed by sea
Have you ever dreamed about waking up to discover that everything you own—including your mattress, roof, and all of your memories – has been lost to the sea?
Since the sea has consumed a sizable portion of Keta in the Volta region, the town’s citizens are in a pitiful position. The sooner action is taken to save the town, the better off everyone will be.
The destruction of the Keta by the sea needs to be addressed immediately, or else the township would eventually be submerged under the water.
Our reporter’s visit showed that this once-thriving seaside resort is gradually disappearing. Keta was once a thriving town known for its business, but now some areas are in ruins, with some of the locals looking on in wonder at the destruction caused by the water.
For the residents of Keta, the Atlantic Ocean is no longer a far-off blue horizon. These days, it relentlessly and without invitation circles around their doorsteps, tearing down walls and other structures, erasing memories, and endangering lives.
Many locals have been forced to live with family or friends after the sea destroyed their homes years ago, and other residents find it hard to comprehend that their once-livable habitat is now in ruins.
The problem is that, apart from residences, Keta’s cultural identity being anchored by monuments are gradually disappearing. One remnant of the transatlantic slave trade, the once-imposing Fort Prinzenstein, is now more of a ruin than a monument.
Once more, the ancient cinema where generations of children used to laugh at flickering black-and-white pictures is no longer there, as is the Bremen factory from the colonial era.
Among other things, the original police station has vanished, and Queen Street, which was once the town’s busy backbone, is now a flooded hallway clogged with rubble. There is still more work to be done despite previous attempts to address the issue since the town is fighting while the sea is winning.
Although water is life, in this instance, it is ruining people’s homes. The situation is serious since the water is destroying the town’s past as quickly as it is claiming its future, despite nature taking its course.
But as humans, our Creator has endowed us with the intelligence to solve problems. The historic town of Keta is now shrouded in uncertainty as the remains of a once-inhabited township are submerged and engulfed by the approaching seas along its coast.
Therefore, it is more efficient to have everyone working together to find a long-term solution to this terrible issue
