Editorial
Let us respect our men in uniform
A few weeks ago, we heard of an incident at Ashaiman about the murder of a young soldier who had come all the way from Sunyani for training in Accra.
Unfortunately, some people at Ashaiman attacked and killed him for no justified reason. This was very unfortunate.
As a result some soldiers with the permission of the Military High Command descended on Ashaiman to look for the people who committed this dastardly act. In the process, some innocent residents were maltreated.
Many people have condemned the action of the Military even though it was carried out in response to an unjustified action by some criminals at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region.
The Spectator does not support any violence perpetrated by the Military or any group of people in this country.
However, in judging the issue, we need to be fair to all parties involved. We have already stated that we do not support any acts of violence by the Military. This is not to say that civilians should also misbehave towards our men in uniform. These men in uniform must be respected at all times because they are the people who protect us.
If things continue this way, a time will come when our men in uniform will not be willing to sacrifice their lives in defence of poor civilians.
When this happens, it will be disastrous for everyone in this country. To prevent this from occurring, we need to be disciplined and as well behave well towards one another in the country.
The time has come for everyone to be disciplined. The irresponsible killing of Major Mahama has not been forgotten and the case is still pending in court, not knowing when it will end.
Whenever unfair treatment is meted out to civilians by soldiers people are always quick to condemn the Military, calling for compensation for the victims.
The late Major Mahama, like any other person had the right to live but was murdered in cold blood.
In the same way the 21-year-old soldier who was killed at Ashaiman also had the right to live so when issues like these happen, let us be fair in our judgement.
We need peace in this country so no one should misbehave in a manner that will result in disturbances and slow down the clock of progress.
Let us respect one another for positive development of our Motherland, Ghana.
Editorial
Merits and demerits of scraping betting tax
Dear Editor,
Over the past years, a lot of concerns have been raised about the rise of sports betting companies in the country, their operations, and how it impacted negatively on the youth of the country.
I have also witnessed how some of the youth go to the extent of borrowing money from friends or use companies’ money to stake bets, which they were not guaranteed of winning.
Due to this, I was happy when the previous government introduced the betting tax, as I felt it would deter the youth from engaging in it.
However, some Ghanaians hold the view that the betting tax would help create employment.
It wasn’t surprising to see the excitement that greeted the announcement of the scrapping of the tax by the Finance Minister.
My worry now is how, as a country, the youth can be discouraged from engaging in betting.
I believe that as the betting tax has been scrapped, it is about time that the government finds ways of addressing the issue of betting among the youth as it is becoming more serious than before.
I believe that there should be a multi-stakeholder engagement between the various stakeholders to proffer solutions to address them.
Editorial
Rail crossing point at circle- Kaneshie road needs attention
Dear Editor,
I read with happiness a letter published in the previous edition about the poor state of the rail crossing stretch of the Circle-Kaneshie road.
I totally agree with the concerns raised by the writer and I wish to add my voice to the call on the authorities to quickly work on that stretch of the road.
What the writer left out was the occasional happenings when vehicles break down on the rail line. I have witnessed that before.
It is not a comfortable thing driving on it at all. It is a huge dent on the beauty the interchange was expected to bring to the area.
The traffic it creates is a major inconvenience to people who are rushing to work.
I wish to appeal to the authorities to quickly do something about that portion of the road to make it convenient for drivers. Thank you for the space.
Maxwell Amamoo,
Odorkor
