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Set a day aside to celebrate drivers
Samuel Amoah
The National Deputy Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Mr Samuel Amoah is calling for a consideration of a day to be set aside and celebrated as ‘Driver’s Day.’
“That would encourage professionalism and go a long way to show the commitment of the country to ensuring road safety,” he said.
Mr Amoah told The Spectator in an interview that the call was not new in Ghana where days have been set aside to celebrate people in other professions for the contribution towards nation building.
“It would be a proud moment to call out private and commercial drivers who have driven responsibly on the road and prevent needless deaths for awards annually.
“Drivers who do not drink and drive, over speed, over load, do not ignore road signs, do not speak on the phone while driving, disrespect their passengers and other road users should be highly commended,” he said.
Mr Amoah believes that a ‘Driver’s Day’ celebration will among encourage more drivers to live up to expectations and become more conscious and responsible on the road.
He said on a daily basis, the GPRTU received calls of commendation for drivers who has acted and conducted themselves professionally.
“We are also quick to take punitive measures against those who have misconducted themselves or bring the name of the job into disrepute,” he stated.
He said if a driver carried many passengers from one place to the other successfully, it was considered a normal thing, however, if the unfortunate happens and lives were lost, the whole country takes them on.
Mr. Amoah said good works should be rewarded to serve as a motivation to those who are upholding the right standard to continue their good work.
He said it would also encourage more drivers to take their maintenance culture seriously because a vehicle in a right state for the road was equally important.
The PRO said the contributions of drivers in the area of the economy by carrying several workers to and from work daily and also carrying farm produce to the market to feed the nation was also enormous.
From Dzifa Tetteh Tay, Ashaiman
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Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
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NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
