Dear Editor,

I write to congratulate the women that have so far caught the attention of President John Dramani Mahama for ministerial appoint­ment.

So far, over 10 women have been vetted already and they all gave a very good account of themselves and I hope that they perform to the best of their abilities.

This is a good sign from President Mahama who demonstrated a strong resolve to provide an enabling environment for the women to be part of decision making by choosing a woman as his Vice President.

And true to his word, a number of women have been appointed in ministerial positions and others as presidential staffers.

I believe the other appointments to come would also have women making the cut.

This would be a morale booster for the young women out there who thinks that their position is the kitchen or in a man’s house as a wife.

This is a clear case of women given the urge to aim to rise above what society and traditional norms have set for them. I wish them well.

Maame Atta,

Kokompe

In last week’s edition of The Spec­tator, we published a story head­lined “Meat singed with car tires dangerous” which was attributed to the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

Meats that have been heated to eliminate hair, shrink the skin, and give it a clean appearance are known as singed meats.

According to the report, eating meat that has been singed, espe­cially from burning tyres, can be dangerous because it may contain heavy metals that can build up in the body and damage organs like the kidneys.

A collaborative investigation conducted by Kwame Nkrumah Uni­versity of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, and the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, led to this discovery.

It was discovered that meats smoked with car tyres contained dangerous amounts of chemicals that cause cancer. This should be a health issue for everyone, particu­larly in places where inappropriate smoking is prevalent.

Additionally, the study found that meats smoked with car tyres in Ghana have high concentrations of dangerous compounds that raise the risk of cancer.

Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to the harm­ful effects of these compounds, according to the researchers who examined meats smoked using fuel sources such as firewood, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and car tyres.

This is due to the fact that burning tyres generates heavy metals that can taint meat and, if consumed, can lead to neurological issues, developmental problems in children, and renal damage – all of which are currently major health concerns in Ghana – among other serious health effects.

They consequently called for stronger regulations to stop the use of car tyres for singeing and sug­gested that safer alternatives, such as LPG, be used for singeing meat, particularly in abattoirs.

They also emphasised the urgent need to investigate and promote alternative singeing techniques. However, according to the experts, LPG can be suggested as a safer substitute for conventional fuels like firewood and car tyres.

The Spectator agrees with the researchers’ recommendations that, in order to safeguard the public’s health and guarantee that custom­ers are not exposed to dangerous compounds, authorities should implement stronger rules govern­ing the use of car tyres for meat singeing and impose severe fines for noncompliance.