Editorial
Insult in public space not good example for youth
The use of insults in addressing issues is gradually gaining root in the country and if this is not checked, it will affect the future generation.
Last week, there were a lot of reactions from the public following the dismissal of eight female students of Chiana Senior High School (SHS) in the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.
The students in November last year, insulted President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a video which went viral expressing their frustrations over the severe hardships in the country.
While some Ghanaians commended the Ghana Education Service (GES) for its decision to dismiss the students, others were of the view that the punishment was too harsh as it would jeopardise the future of the students.
Fortunately, the President intervened by appealing to the GES to rescind its decision and resort to an alternative disciplinary action instead of dismissal.
Surely, the students are wrong and they must be punished but what punishment can they be given to serve as a deterrent to others?
Although The Spectator condemns the conduct of the girls in its entirety, we commend the President for pardoning the students who earlier rendered an apology to him in another video showing remorse for their misconduct.
Prior to that, the GES also intervened and apologised to the President on behalf of the girls. The intervention is a step in the right direction and The Spectator hopes that this misconduct will not be repeated by other students in future.
The problem is, respect for the elderly is becoming a thing of the past which is worrying. Coupled with that, insult in public space is gradually gaining root in the country. Instead of discussing relevant issues some people rather resort to attacking their opponents with insults on various platforms, especially on the airwaves.
As Ghanaians, we should not be ignorant of the fact that the youth listen and watch whatever goes on in the country. Insult in public space is not a good example for the youth. It is not a surprise that the youth have imitated their leaders unconsciously and have resorted to the use of insults against the elderly.
As a country, we must check this before it becomes a canker else our future generation will show no respect at all to the elderly.
We need to be careful with our utterances to set a good example for the upcoming young ones. Even in instances of provocation, let us exercise restraint in our pronouncements and show respect to those in authority.
Attacking your opponent with insults promotes violence which must be nipped in the bud. Let us eschew insults to promote peace for a better Ghana.
On the issue of the Chiana girls, The Spectator hopes that the youth will learn a lesson from the action taken against the girls and refrain from such misconduct. Students should not take the intervention made on behalf of the girls as an excuse to engage in similar acts hoping that they will be pardoned.
It is unfortunate that (sometimes) no matter how disciplined some parents may be, their children become recalcitrant. We urge parents to have control over their children and apply sound biblical principles in training them. In addition, parents must monitor their children on the use of the social media to ensure that it does not create problems for them.
It is our hope that the GES will revise some of the policies which, according to some teachers, make it difficult for school’s authorities to enforce discipline in schools for fear of being victimised.
Editorial
Kudos to Ho Teaching Hospital staff, but …
Dear Editor,
If there is any group of professionals that get bad-mouthed the most, then you are referring to nurses and medical doctors assigned to public hospitals across the country.
For this particular letter, I want to sing the praises of this same group of professionals that work at the Ho Teaching Hospital, famously known as Trafalgar.
Despite the work load and the mass casualties received at the emergency ward of the hospital, the welcoming nature of the nurses and the professional touch by the doctors can’t be ignored. My personal experience has got me travelling from my base in Accra to seek medical services from these professionals.
Special mention has to be made of the likes of Precious of the Pharmacy Department, Dr Brandon Banor (a maxillofacial resident) of the Dental unit, male nurse Justice assigned to the female surgical ward. Words cannot really do justice to their affable, professional caring nature. A simple thank you is all that I can say.
In the same vein, I can’t but call out the bad attitude of the auxiliary staff and contractors of the hospital.
Chief among them is some of the contracted bank staff that handle the payment section of the hospital and the patient registration section (those that check the status of the patient as to whether they are fee paying patients or NHIS sponsored).
The attitude at times leaves a bad taste in the mouth. One such occurrence was a night staff of the registration section who had her legs on the office table whilst talking to patients.
The CEO of the hospital needs to shine his torch light on this support sections before they erode the awesome performance of the direct medical staff of the hospital.
Thank you for the space.
Kwesi Manu
Accra
Editorial
Develop policies to address disability concerns
Dear Editor,
AT the beginning of the year, when I went to the bank to deposit money into my uncle’s account, I observed a very sad situation where a man in a wheelchair struggled to navigate his way around the facility.
This is because the structure is disability unfriendly.
As I stood and watched how the man struggled to move his wheelchair, I felt sad and wondered if this is how the life of a disabled person should be. It becomes worse if there is no one to offer help.
In Ghana, People With Disabilities (PWDs) are often treated differently and are often subjected to all forms of discrimination.
Most of these people find themselves in such a situation as a result of unfortunate happenings such as accidents and injuries.
It is, therefore, not appropriate for anyone to discriminate against them. Discrimination against such persons take many forms, including how buildings are constructed.
Most of the public structures are not disability friendly and impede their movement.
As a country, we should consider the PWDs in designing our structures. I also think that there should be a national policy that seeks to address this issue.
I have a strong conviction that when such a policy is developed by the government, people with disabilities would feel appreciated and also promote social inclusivity.
Ray,
Kasoa
