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Vehicle inspection for safety on roads

Recent fatal road accidents brought to my mind many issues, as I tried to think about the causes for such unfortunate incidents and loss of lives.

Of course, one of the oft-cited causes for road accidents is human error on the part of the drivers (over-speeding, dangerous overtaking, drunk driving, tiredness/sleeping at the steering wheel etc.).

One can also typically hear people attributing road accidents to the nature of our roads, such as the bad nature of the roads; to others, one of the best solutions would be to widen our major highways into dual-carriage ones with two or more lanes.

Of late, I have been thinking about vehicle inspection and roadworthiness of vehicles on our roads.

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Vehicle inspection is a procedure mandated by nations or agencies of governments in many countries. In this procedure, a vehicle is inspected to ensure that it conforms to regulations governing safety, emissions, or both.

It is regulated by law and you will face a penalty if you break that law.

Usually, an inspection can be required at various times, for example, periodically or on transfer of ownership to a vehicle (see also www.wikipedia.org).

Vehicle inspection in Finland

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In Finland, someone cannot drive a car on the road if that vehicle has not been inspected during the specified period for inspection, according to the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (TRAFICOM) (see www.traficom.fi).

During the regular inspections that are carried out at specific intervals on vehicles, the condition of the vehicle is checked and the data entered in a register.

If your vehicle fails to pass the inspection test, you will need to have the faults and defects that were identified in the vehicle during the inspection repaired as soon as possible.

After the repairs, you will need to take your vehicle again for a follow-up inspection within a month of the inspection.

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I must say that usually Ghanaian/African immigrants in Finland do not miss their appointed times for their vehicles to be inspected.

Various points of inspection

There are many points where a vehicle owner can go after booking an appointment date/time in order to get the vehicle inspected.

The vehicle inspection points can be within the vicinity of where one lives, which means that vehicle owners can find it easy to go for their appointed time without much trouble.

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Moreover, a vehicle inspection site must be granted a licence in order to practise the profession of inspecting vehicles.

Technology and digitalisation

The technologically-advanced world enables accurate information to be gathered and retrieved with very fast and easily.

The Finnish vehicle inspection procedure is supported by a well-developed technological system for recording information about data on vehicles that have gone for inspection, whether they passed or failed.

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Everything is digitalised, which means that the data or records are stored electronically. A well-developed digital address system helps matters.

Learning from Finland

We in Ghana can learn from Finland and other advanced countries to establish an effective vehicle inspection procedure.

I do not know if we have such a mandatory vehicle inspection procedure in Ghana. If we have, maybe all we need to do is to enforce that law, that is, if not being enforced already.

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If we don’t have such a mechanism of regularly requiring vehicle owners to take their vehicles for inspection then I recommend that our authorities to visit Finland and understudy their system. We can even import their expertise in this field, I dare say.

The digitalisation and integration of records that the government is pursuing can help a lot.

To me, a vehicle inspection procedure in Ghana can have the possibility to reduce road accidents since it will ensure roadworthiness and safety of the vehicle on the road.

Let’s start thinking about this. Thank you!

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By Dr Perpetual Crentsil

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The Prophet part 2

Some young men queing for visas
Some young men queing for visas

“I can see in the spirit, that some of you have been trading for years without seeing any mean­ingful profits, some young women have been disappointed by men who have either abandoned them and left for foreign lands and forgotten about them, or stopped sending money for the upkeep of their wives and children.

I can see young men who are desperate for visas to travel abroad but have either been duped by visa contractors or refused at the embas­sies. From tomorrow, I assure you, the visas will be given.

Young women, I have news for you. You will receive telephone calls, and you will hear very good news. Handsome young men with money in their pockets will come and marry you, and take care of you. Traders, you will get big business and big profits from today. From today, you will see that I am a true prophet who has come to deliver you.”

Shouts of “Amen,” “thank you Prophet” and “I receive it” greeted his sermon. After a final prayer, he asked the congregation to come early the following day, and bring others, because there would be many testimonies.

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There would also be “special anointing” for great miracles. Although he did not ask for an offering, most of the people came and dropped notes, and coins at the “pulpit.” When they left, Antobam counted the money.

“GH¢900!” he almost shouted, ‘and I did not even ask for an offer­ing. This is fantabulous!’ Going to the Nana Kofi Broni shrine, he told himself, was a very wise move.

He started making plans……He had to choose a few assistants who would carry out his orders……. He had to hire some chairs as soon as possible……He had to find a suit­able piece of land and, if possible, build his own church……. He had to start looking for a nice car, befitting the status of a popular preacher …… And, most importantly, he had to select two, three or four nice, young women to take care of his needs, apart from the servants who would cook, wash, iron and do other errands for him.

Abruptly, he told himself, this hungry, scruffy Kukurantumi boy was being transformed into a man of power and money, with some of the most beautiful women in town at his beck and call. Wow!

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After a shower and supper, he shut the door to the very small room that served as his bedroom and dropped on the bed. Almost immediately, the shrill sounds, like whispers, began.

This time he did not express any fears. He realised to his great sur­prise that even though the sounds were not in the form of any lan­guage, he could understand them.

Tomorrow there will be testimo­nies……they will give money……. some rich people are being prepared …….they will bring big money ………. we will give them what they want, and they will bring money ……. big money …….big, big money……the women will also come, a number of them. ‘

He went to sleep smiling and whis­pering to himself, ‘big, big money, and women!’

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He woke up at 5 and took a shower. After a breakfast of tea and several slices of bread he set off. On reaching the venue he saw to his great surprise that the place was full.

Very full, and quite a number of people rushed to embrace him and give him the wonderful news. The excited people narrated the testi­monies about big sales, telephone calls from relatives directing them to go to Western Union, and impo­tent husbands who had miraculously rediscovered their magic powers.

He was truly glad that Nana Kofi Broni’s magic had already started working, but most of his attention was focused on the ladies in the congregation. He noticed to his great delight that some of them were really nice. I must start mak­ing my selection, he told himself. Today!

“Give a mighty clap offering to the great, mighty one for his won­ders among us!” he started, and the response was very big.

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“I said yesterday that you were going to see signs and wonders, and I am very happy that my word has been fulfilled. Even though we have taken allowed one hour for testimo­nies, many more of you would like to testify.

Tomorrow, I promise you that there will be ample time. I will only preach a short sermon. The rest of the time will be taken up by consul­tations, after which I will give direc­tions on what to do to ensure that you defeat your enemies, secure your marriage and, most important­ly, continue increasing your profits in your business.” His sermon was interspersed with ecstatic shouts of “Amen,” “it is true,” “God bless you” and “I receive it.”

His final word was emphatic; “Big miracles are coming your way. Keep attending church, and don’t forget to give thanks to God.”

By Ekow de Heer

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Full Gospel Businessmen Fellowship launches project to transform young lives

• Members of the Full Gospel Businness Fellowship
• Members of the Full Gospel Businness Fellowship

The Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) Ghana has launched the Senior High Schools and Colleges Project (SCP) aimed at empowering and transforming the lives of young people.

Speaking at the launch, Professor Mike Ocquaye, the former Speaker of Parliament, emphasised the need to catch them young and train them as the current times were challenging.

He lauded the project, calling on all to support it, saying “In fact, it’s very important to catch them young, train them, lead them, guide them, and men­tor them because the times are indeed rough,” Prof. Ocquaye said.

Mr Ekow Egyir Dadson, the Director, Schools and Colleges Directorate, stated that since its inception in 2018, the SCP had reached over 70 educational institutions with countless testimonies of transformation.

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“We began with the Presbyterian Boys Secondary School (PRESEC) Legon, and now in 2024, we have visited 74 schools and impacted the lives of over 100,000 students, some of whom were personally mentored and now have graduated from the universities.”

He explained that the SCP, a vision by FGBMFI Ghana, was a bold outreach pro­gramme designed to call young people to Christ, train and equip them for the future.

He cited testimony-sharing, mentor­ship, career guidance, entrepreneurship and counseling as some of the unique approaches to be used in reaching out to the targeted students.

Mr Emmanuel Baba Mahama, the National President of the FGBMFI Ghana, launched the SCP Manual, which would help the FGBMFI Zonal Family Chapters across Ghana in order to adopt schools and colleges within their catchment areas.

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The Schools and Colleges project is making a great impact; we have had first-hand testimonies from school heads, teachers, and students (mentees) about the SCP. This project has come to stay, Mr Baba Mahama assured.

He, therefore, called for more vol­unteers and partners to help the SCP shape the next generation of leaders and citizens.

Findings by the FGBMFI revealed that Ghana’s senior high schools, colleges, and university students face growing challenges like addictions, indiscipline, poor academic performance, pornogra­phy, homosexuality, broken homes, and a lack of godly guidance.

That had been a concern to many parents and society, “but the FGBMFI believes there is hope to rescue and re­store these young students,” Mr Mahama said. –GNA

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