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 The Ayews predicament …To quit or not to quit

• The Ayew brothers, Andre (left) and Jordan

• The Ayew brothers, Andre (left) and Jordan

 It’s interesting how things can change very fast in life.

In sports, particularly football, this scenario can be perfectly illustrated with its daily happenings.

In a minute, a player becomes a hero of a club or a national team, leading him to success on the field or chalking some historic wins. His absence can even affect the team’s confidence.

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The next moment, this player becomes a villain who has overstayed his welcome, and he must retire or quit the club or national team.

Even when the player feels he has a little more to give, he is looked in the face by the same fans that applauded him and told that ‘Massa’, your time is up.’

From that moment, the player becomes the problem of the club or national team and is at fault for every neg­ativity around it.

Ask players like Ivorian international and Manchester City legend, Yahaya Toure, Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan and recently the Ayew broth­ers – Andre and Jordan, or axed Black Stars coach, Chris Hughton; they know about this.

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But what these players or coaches do not know or refuse to accept is the axiom suggesting that one needs to leave the stage while the ovation is loudest.

Those who exit the stage while the applause was loud­est do not have the unpleas­ant experience of courting bad publicity or becoming a desperado to the same fans that once sang the player’s praise.

Former Ghana interna­tional and Dortmund star, Otto Addo, may be relaxing

 in his Dortmund base today, observing happenings in the camp of the Black Stars and perhaps, be wondering whether he would have been the target of that fan attack in Cote d’Ivoire following the team’s poor showing at AFCON 2023.

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Addo guided the Black Stars to snatch a FIFA World Cup ticket from Nigeria over two legs to send the entire nation into frenzy. By the time the excitement came down, Ghana was out of the World Cup following an unim­pressive showing.

As stipulated in his con­tract, Addo exited the scene, although not with much applause and entered Hugh­ton who also kept faith with the Ayews, a decision that appears to have made him a ‘persona non grata’.

But one may ask what crime the Ayews commit­ted to warrant this level of condemnation and vilification from a majority of Ghanaian soccer fans.

If the narrative is not about why the coach kept Jordan in a game for the entire duration, then it will be why he brought on Andre because he was a mere pas­senger.

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They have been the major subjects for discussions on several platforms and one even wonders where they get the motivation to still want to don the once glorious senior national team jersey.

In a sharp throwback to 2021 in Egypt, Andre was con­sidered Ghana’s finest after leading a U-21 side to defeat Brazil in a FIFA World Cup to hand Ghana her only success in that age categorised cham­pionship.

That, obviously, fast-for­warded his smooth transition to the senior side where he bid his time and became the captain of the side.

Beyond the camp poli­ticking fans only hear but lack evidence to confirm, the Ayews, in my view have paid their dues to Ghana football and must be treated with respect.

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It appears Ghanaians have lost some of the magical mo­ments Andre especially have had with Ghana at the FIFA World Cup, AFCON and some qualifying games.

The only problem of the Ayews, for me is the failure to watch the clock to know when to time themselves out. What Asamoah Gyan went through with fans at the lat­ter parts of his career should have guided the Ayews to exit at the right moment.

It also teaches a lesson that no matter how sumptu­ous your football meal was in the past, fans will always go against you whenever it loses its taste.

But it is not too late. With their respective careers at an anti-climax, they can take a decision they feel will be in their interest and that of the nation in order to be absolved from the blame for the Black Stars downward spiral.

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 By Andrew Nortey

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 Youth urged to take proactive stance on ozone depletion

•Mr Joseph Amankwah, first counting from, some officials from EPA and UNDP in group picture with the student

•Mr Joseph Amankwah, first counting from, some officials from EPA and UNDP in group picture with the student

 Mr Joseph Amankwah, the Direc­tor of Ozone Layer and Climate Change at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has urged the youth to take a proactive stance on issues related to ozone depletion, emphasising that their future would be most affected by its consequences.

Speaking during a student engagement event at the Ghana Secondary School (GHANASS) in Koforidua, he highlighted the critical role young people played in tackling climate-related challenges.

Mr Amankwah explained that human activities, such as the use of certain chemicals, were significantly contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer and driving climate change.

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He said it was important to educate the youth on these issues, encouraging them to share this knowledge with their fam­ilies to foster a broader understanding and active participation in climate action.

He urged the education sector to integrate lessons on the ozone layer, the causes of its depletion, and its links to climate change into the curriculum.

The event, organised by the EPA in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was designed to foster environmental aware­ness and promote a sense of responsibili­ty among young people.

Mr Amankwah noted that ozone layer depletion was affecting everyone, includ­ing children, as it alters weather patterns and threatens the natural environment.

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He highlighted the need for young people to develop ‘green skills’ to adapt to the challenges of climate change and to understand ways to combat it.

He added that World Ozone Day, observed every September, would focus on youth engagement in environmental issues, to help them understand the long-term consequences of ozone depletion and climate change.

Mr Amankwah also discussed the harmful impact of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a major chemical contributor to ozone depletion.

He explained that household applianc­es such as refrigerators and air condi­tioners were common sources of CFC emissions in Ghana.

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Many uncertified technicians work on these appliances, often releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere due to improper handling, he noted.

To address this, he urged appliance re­pairers to obtain proper certification and training, emphasising that unqualified repairs not only harm the environment but also endangered public health.

From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman,
Koforidua

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Small-scale miners schooled on health hazards of mining with mercury

• Mr Lovelace Sarpong (right) addressing the participants

Mr Lovelace Sarpong (right) addressing the participants

Some Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners in the Ashanti and Central regions have been sensitised on the potential health dangers humans are exposed to with the use of mercu­ry in gold processing.

The sensitisation which was or­ganised by PlanetGOLD Ghana proj­ect was to raise awareness about the negative impacts on the use of mercury in mining activities.

According to the PlanetGOLD Ghana Project Coordinator, Mr Lovelace Sar­pong, the use of mercury in artisanal small-scale mining pose health challeng­es that affects the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys; and may be fatal.

Some Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) that benefited from the exercise were Amansie Central, Asante Akim North, Amansie South, Amansie West, Bekwai, and Adansi North in the Ashanti Region, and Upper Denkyira East (Dunkwa-on-Offin) and Upper Denkyira West (Diaso) in the Central Region.

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Additionally, he said inorganic salts of mercury were corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.

He stated that the PlanetGOLD Project has conducted several ini­tiatives to raise awareness on reducing mercury exposure among artisanal and small-scale gold mining actors in the country.

It was to promote mercury-free mining practices in line with Ghana’s obligations under the Minamata Con­vention on Mercury, support the for­malisation of the ASGM sector while advocating the adoption of the CRAFT Code and responsible supply chains, and raise awareness on the availabili­ty of mercury-free alternatives.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Area Head for Konongo, Mr Dawood Abbas, underscored the importance of government’s environ­mental regulations and EPA’s role in ensuring compliance within the ASGM sector.

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He encouraged miners to prioritise environmental stewardship to gain community trust and secure a Social License to Operate (SLO) and reaf­firmed the Agency’s commitment to enforce its commitments under the Minamata Convention.

 BY Cecilia Lagba Yada

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