Editorial
MARTIN AMIDU’S RESIGNATION
The hopes of people were high when Mr Martin Amidu was appointed to occupy the Office of Special Prosecutor but this, as is now known, did not last for long following his unexpected resignation.
It is very unfortunate that things have gone this way because the fight against corruption or corrupt practices is something that should be detested by all well-meaning Ghanaians.
Corruption has always resulted in the loss of huge sums of money to the state, a situation that makes it impossible for such diverted sums of money to be used for national development for the common good. This is very unfortunate so corruption must be discouraged at all times.
Mr Martin Amidu in his resignation letter pointed out the interference with his work on the part of government, something President Akufo-Addo described as perplexing.
However, information coming out shows that Mr Amidu made too many demands regarding office and other forms of accommodation as well as the personnel to work with and the budget he needed.
Another question that must be answered is, why he kept making demands upon demands for facilities and building to work with. In some cases, after identifying a place for renovation to be used as an office, he turned round almost immediately to refuse his own choice and rather made other new demands.
Whatever it is, it is good that he has tendered in his resignation at this time. The resignation is good because it will give the President an opportunity to appoint a new person to that office to carry on the fight against corruption.
Whoever is appointed to the office of the Special Prosecutor must be willing to work hard so that the people of this country can support him to succeed. There were others who doubted whether Mr Amidu could do the job when he was first appointed, explaining he had a very high temperament and could not easily work with others.
As a nation, we need to work against corruption so the President should keep his calm and look round to appoint a new person who is suitably qualified to occupy that position.
In the view of The Spectator, we need to make corruption as unattractive as possible in this country. This can only come about when we have a reliable or a dependable Special Prosecutor who could be willing to carry through the mandate given him under Act 959.
Editorial
Rising cost of renting in Accra worrying
Dear Editor,
It is the dream of every young adult to build and live in his or her own apartment or house and not become a tenant in another person’s house. However, such a dream looks far from becoming a reality when one considers the amount to pay to rent an apartment in the capital.
The situation has even become unbearable as the wages of most employed individuals are way lower what landlords charge.
As a young man who is not married, I always imagine getting married and live in a rented apartment with my family, and having to also pay for utility and other basic needs. That alone scares me about marriage.
In Accra, landlords take as much as GHȻ700.00 a month for an apartment with toilets and bathrooms, while some even take the same amount for single rooms without toilets and baths.
Also, one has to sometimes deal with the issue of individuals who are referred to as ‘agents’ when trying to find an apartment to rent. These agents even take monies and don’t even get their clients the type of houses they want.
We can not allow this to continue as most landlords and agents continue to extort monies from their tenants by ‘unreasonably’ increasing house rents on a monthly and yearly basis, thereby putting pressure on them.
I would like to urge the government to have a look at the rent control system of the country to ensure that tenants are not taken advantage of by landlords.
I have also seen young guys and ladies who try to move away from family houses and rent apartments because they want some privacy. My advice to such youngsters is that renting an apartment is not an easy thing, especially when you are not earning much. It is better to stay in the family house and rather save enough to get their own houses.
This is an area of concern government must take a look at and do something about it.
Atom,
Sukura
Editorial
Don’t prophesy to cause fear and panic
Dear Editor,
Curtains on the year 2024, is gradually drawing to close, with many, achieving their dreams while others hope for a better 2025.
Amidst this, churches have planned their watch night services with various themes for the night hoping to give Christians and Ghanaians at large a chance to enter the New Year with optimism.
At the service, there will prophecies or predictions for the coming year, with some causing fear and panic among the populace.
In the year 2021, the Ghana Police Service banned prophecies during 31st night services, also known as watch night services.
Such prophecies, according to the police has caused fear and panic among targeted persons
It seems churches and their leaders have forgotten about this ban, I wish to call in the police to remind the churches to enforce the ban which were mostly about the death of prominent persons in the society.
I believe this will again bring sanity into the Christianity and the society at whole