Features
Sim card re-registration and economic growth (final part)
• Sim re-registration would reduce criminal activities to some extent
Any person who understands why the sim card re-registration exercise is necessary will come to appreciate its value in terms of national security for all people residing in the country.
If it is possible for any group of people to use tricks to deceive business men and women in the country, then we all need to be careful about our safety and security.
This is because without security in the country, the safety of business men cannot be guaranteed and when this happens, the economy would not be able to grow in the way expected.
Furthermore, whenever crimes move high in the country, it puts fear in everyone, making it difficult for many to go about their normal activities.
Peace and security are therefore very important for the good of every country. Criminal activities cannot be totally eliminated from any part of the world.
However, when they are minimised, they help to boost confidence in the economy and thus help both local and foreign investors to go about their duties with ease.
In addition, the confidence they gain encourages them to believe in the system in which they operate since they know that at any point in time, their economic and business interests would be adequately protected by the state.
The question that arises now is “why is the Ministry of Communication and Digitisation seriously committed to ensuring that every SIM card in the country is re-registered?”
The issue of traceability here is very important and it should be possible for the State to trace the source of every call made in this country to enable us know that they are not coming from scammers or tricksters.
If we understand things so well in this way, we can have our peace to go about every business in this country. Any call made in any part of this country, is intended for criminal activities, should be traced from its source by national security officers.
If we are not able to trace the source, then our safety is in jeopardy. This will put us in great danger since criminals will have a field day and engage in all kinds of unpleasant, nefarious activities. Such activities are unproductive and must be discouraged without delay.
This explains why traceability of all calls is very important. It should be possible for us to trace the sources of all calls so that criminals in the country can be weeded out.
In the first place, under the current re-registration exercise, the personal details of every individual is captured. Secondly, the bio-data of the person is also captured.
With the carrying of such data, it becomes easy to trace calls from any part of the country especially when evil intentions can be imputed. As at now, it is not all SIM cards that have been properly registered.
For this reason, criminal activities are still ongoing. To prevent this situation, the Ministry of Communication and Digitisation has come out to say that all SIM cards that have not been properly re-registered will be blocked after November 30 this year.
This means that such unregistered cards cannot be used to make calls or transact business in any way. This exercise is meant to sanitise the system and prevent a situation where unknown SIM cards may be used for some criminal activities.
In the past, it was easy for any person to get a SIM card anywhere and use it to make genuine calls or alternatively use it for criminal activities. When businessmen and women are protected from this criminal activity, it becomes easy for them, as has been pointed out already, to have confidence in the economic system and go about their duties with ease.
This helps to promote business expansion as well as ensuring economic growth and increased welfare for everyone in the country.
When criminal activities escalate, they discourage people from carrying out their business activities with ease. On the other hand, where criminal activities are about nil in this way, business confidence becomes rekindled and this helps many individuals and business organisations to carry out their business operations in the way expected.
This means that in all sectors of the economy, whether in agriculture, health, trade, education or in any other sector, activities move on smoothly and profit margins keep escalating to higher levels. This is what Ghana needs today.
With the implementation of many programmes such as One District One Factory; Agenda 111 under which District and regional hospitals are being built across the country; Planting for Food and Jobs and for Export; and many other programmes that are ongoing, there is the need for every person in the country to know that good policies are being implemented and that we need to protect every person to make everyone feel safe in the country.
If this is the case, then we need to pay serious attention to the SIM card re-registration to guarantee the security and safety of every person irrespective of where you find yourself in the country. This is what the country needs so let each and every one support the SIM card re-registration in our own interest and live above pettiness.
Email address/whatsApp number of author:
Pradmat201@gmail.com (0553318911)
By Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
Features
Emotional distortions: The hidden barriers to mental well-being
Emotional distortions are twisted or irrational thought patterns that can have a profound impact on our mental health and well-being.
These distortions can lead to negative emotions, unhealthy behaviours, and strained relationships.
In this article, we will explore the types, causes, and consequences of emotional distortions, as well as strategies for overcoming them.
Types of Emotional Distortions
1. All-or-Nothing Thinking: Seeing things in absolute terms.
2. Catastrophising: Exaggerating potential consequences.
3. Over generalisation: Making sweeping conclusions based on limited evidence.
4. Mind Reading: Assuming others’ thoughts or intentions.
5. Emotional Reasoning: Believing emotions reflect reality.
6. Should Statements: Imposing unrealistic expectations.
7. Labelling: Assigning negative labels to oneself or others.
8. Personalisation: Taking things too personally.
Causes of emotional distortions
1. Childhood experiences
2. Trauma
3. Stress
4. Social learning
5. Cultural influences
6. Genetic predisposition
Consequences of emotional distortions
1. Anxiety and depression
2. Relationship conflicts
3. Low self-esteem
4. Impaired decision-making
5. Substance abuse
6. Physical health problems
Overcoming emotional distortions
1. Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Identifying and challenging distortions.
2. Mindfulness: Practising self-awareness.
3. Self-Reflection: Examining thought patterns.
4. Journaling: Recording and analysing thoughts.
5. Seeking support: Consulting therapists or support groups.
Strategies for Maintaining Mental Well-being
1. Practice self-compassion.
2. Engage in physical activity.
3. Cultivate social connections.
4. Prioritise sleep and nutrition.
5. Seek professional help when needed.
Conclusion
Emotional distortions can have a profound impact on mental health, but they can be overcome. By recognising and challenging these distortions, individuals can develop healthier thought patterns, improve relationships, and enhance overall well-being.
_References_
– Beck, A. T. (1977). Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
– Burns, D. D. (1999). The Feeling Good Handbook.
– American Psychological Association. (2022). Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
Features
Where are we rushing to?
Sometimes you wonder what is going on especially the period before Christmas, in terms of the road incidents.
Yesterday, heading towards town, on my way to lay a wreath on my late wife’s grave, on the anniversary of her burial, I saw cars ahead of me suddenly indicating that they want to move into the middle lane from the inner lane.
I then saw, as I inched along, the reason for moving into the middle lane. Apparently an Uber vehicle had hit the side of a Mercedes Benz car and they were arguing and trying to sort things out.
It was apparent that the cause of the incident was due to rushing to get ahead of the Benz. A few moments of patience from both drivers could have avoided that incident.
It just does not make sense that you are in so much of a hurry that you could not let reason prevail for one of you to exercise restraint, to allow the other vehicle to pass and now both of you are wasting precious time on the road, the very thing you were trying to avoid in the first place.
There is another aspect that is related to this rushing that has to be addressed. People are no longer willing to show empathy with others, such that for a driver to pause for another driver to pass to join the traffic or to cross to the other lane is becoming non-existent these days.
We seem to be selfish in most cases which then causes drivers to rush to join the traffic after waiting and waiting without any one giving him or her the opportunity to move to join the traffic. I was tempted to be callous by ignoring vehicles that wanted to cross from my right to join the opposite traffic coming from the Ghana Law School entrance toward Tema Station, earlier this week due to the behaviour of some drivers toward me.
However, I remembered that I was a Christian and a higher standard of empathy is required of me, so I paused for them to cross from the exit point of the filling station to join the traffic going in the opposite direction.
I nearly knocked down two people earlier this week due to their lack of safety I suppose or is it a lack of focus on the streets. I think safety education needs to be intensified because of what happened on Monday.
How on earth would anyone attempt to cross a road, in front of a vehicle when a traffic light has just shown green? It really beats my imagination but that was exactly what happened and how I did not kill her, is attributable only to divine intervention.
Shortly before this incident, I had narrowly avoided hitting another person, who also crossed in front of me when I was about to join a main road with traffic coming from my left side so I was focused on my left side.
A vehicle was ahead of me and so was waiting to move as soon as it moves. The vehicle moved and just as I was about to follow, this young lady just showed up at my right fender and again I would say it was only by divine intervention that she escaped either serious injury or even death.
The level of selfish considerations in the country is becoming alarming by the day and it is something that must be addressed. The normal Ghanaian attitude of tolerance towards each other is now gradually vanishing from our society and is very worrying.
People are becoming much more inward looking and if something is not going to benefit him or her, they are just not interested. There are a few people who still do what is right and they should be commended to continue the good works.
My advice to my fellow Ghanaians is that, let us stop this rushing when we are driving especially as Christmas is approaching so we can save ourselves from avoidable incidents. God bless.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
