Editorial
Provide more buses for easy commuting
The bad nature of the Kasoa road
Dear Editor,
I am writing to bring to the attention of the concerned authorities, a pressing issue that affects our community: the lack of adequate public transportation.
As a daily commuter, I have witnessed lots of people experience firsthand the frustration and inconvenience of unreliable and infrequent bus services.
The current public transportation system is inadequate, with long waiting times, inadequate buses, and limited routes.
People are always spotted at some of the stations at Kwame Nkrumah interchange (Circle), forming long queues waiting for a bus to either board to go to work or home after a stressful day at work.
This sometimes results in absenteeism from work because one would not get a car home on time; that may lead to decrease in productivity.
Moreover, it excessively affects low-income residents who rely heavily on public transportation before going to work.
However, these long queues often seen at the stations are partly the fault of drivers who refuse to go to a particular destination due to the bad nature of the roads leading to these destinations.
Some also refuse going to a destination because they want to avoid traffic.
I would appreciate if the government look into poor roads and fix them so that drivers can safely transport individuals to their destinations.
I believe that by working together, we can create a more sustainable, equitable, and connected community.
Elizabeth Agyeibea Ackon,
Accra.
Editorial
Wage sustained campaign on sickle cell, others
Dear Editor,
I read in the last edition of your esteemed newspaper a story about sickle cell and an advice to the youth, especially hoping to get married, to be aware of their sickle cell status before falling in love.
That is a very important call on the youth in my view because of the lack of awareness on the condition which has the tendency to affect one’s ability to live a decent life.
Sadly, awareness creation on some of these medical conditions have not been sustained ones.
Just like the breast cancer disease and many others, we often wait for particular periods earmarked for awareness on the existence and management of these diseases.
Although it is good enough to set aside particular days, weeks and months to thoroughly deliberate on some of the medical mishaps, it is equally important to wage a sustained programme to always referesh the minds of the people of these conditions.
Sickle cell for instance is one of the health conditions one don’t hear very often but its implication can prematurely curtail one’s life.
The youth must be aware of its existence and the importance in knowing status before falling in love.
For me, the education must even stretch beyond falling in love since there are those who also engage in casual sex. They can also be caught up in this web and in the case of pregnancy with both have the S OR c genes, then it becomes likely to have a sickle cell baby.
I want to appeal to the authorities to make those calls very regular for the youth to be aware.
Ofori Mike,
La
Editorial
Ensure right material are used for storey buildings
Dear Editor,
I write to draw to your attention to a growing phenomenon in our society and the country as a whole.
Growing up, I only saw a few storey buildings around the country. Most buildings I saw were ground structures that housed families.
I am now becoming a bit worried about the rate at which storey buildings are being built across the country.
While putting up a storey building helps in the effective utilisation of natural resources such as land, it could also lead to the loss of lives and properties if the right building materials are not used.
In Ghana, we have witnessed a number of storey buildings, including shopping malls and church buildings collapse, leading to loss of lives.
Often, investigations conducted by regulatory authorities in the building and construction sector have revealed that those buildings collapse because the right material was not used in the building process.
Although there have been calls from a section of the public for authorities to inspect storey buildings in the country to prevent disasters, I think those calls have fallen on deaf ears, considering the fast pace at which individuals and businesses are putting up storey buildings in the country.
Some of these storey buildings that are near completion or abandoned by its owners and cited in close proximity have even developed cracks, which poses threat to the lives of those who lived around.
I, therefore, as a matter of urgency, urge the duty bearers and regulatory authorities in the building and construction sector to ensure that those storey buildings are inspected and the contractors held accountable, to prevent another Melcom disaster.
Osei Kuka,
Accra