TAKING CARE OF STATE PROPERTY   

There is something about some people which I find hard to understand. It is the careless manner in which they handle the state property; the misuse of what belongs to government. People take care of what belong to them and try all that they can to protect it. However when it comes to handling facilities which belongs to the state majority of the people usually becomes careless. It has been mentioned repeatedly that belongs to the state belongs to it citizen but that is not the case in Ghana. 

Whatever a government provides is for all the citizens of the country who in reality are all part of the government. The taxes paid by the citizen helps the government to provide whatever they needed to make life meaningful. Yet people treat such things carelessly simply because they are government property.

             Right from public schools to public place of convenient thing are mishandle there all because they belong to the government. In some schools that I witness some louvers, doors, desks and other furniture have breakdown and most of the text books provided by government worn out  nothing have been done about it so I questioned the school authority about it the response I had was that , the it belongs to the government and it their responsibilities to repair the damage.     

So the question to ask now is; why should we think that state property is not our responsibility while we are the every one using them? It about time that we changed our attitude toward thing that we use now. Think of the text books that Junior High School (JHS) are using now and other people from class six coming after the JHS who will use it. So if the JHS do not use the books wisely and they are destroyed; what do we expect those people from primary to use when they get to JHS? If students in Senior High School, technical and vocational school do not take care of the desks, textbooks and other furniture what will the JHS use when they get there?

             This is not applying to the education aspect only but all of the belongs to the “so call state properties” been hospitals, public toilet, workplaces etc.we should bear in mind that these property are provided from the taxes that we have been paying or from contributions made from member of our community. May be you have not thought of the results of ours misuses of what belongs to the nation. It is important to do so now because the development of this country rest on our wiliness to change from our old ways treating state property and to treat them as our own if not we are will be paying too much on taxes in future which is going to cause a lot financial problems .

Our nation would be meaningless. If we do not use the little that we have now to make our country a better place to live in. One way of doing this is to take positive step toward protected what belong to the state. It is when we take proper care of the state assets that we can live behind something good for the generation. Do we want our country to progress or to retrogress? Let us start now.

laws

Dear Editor,

                          LAW   ENFORCEMENT

Laws are made to ensure equality of individuals and the country as whole. Law, as the word recites it, is a strong body which does not infringe the rights of the people and also stated that nobody is about it. Not even the president according to the rule of law governing the country.

The laws in this country ensure political stability, democracy and peace in its totality. Therefore, in as much as we want the people respect other people’s rights the every law must be enforced to curtail others from violating the rights of other people in the country.

As we all know , the executives are policy makers, then these policy are send to the parliament  or legislatures as a bill and it debated when it is by the majority it becomes a law and it is implemented or enforced by the judiciary.

But here is the case that some laws are made and they are not enforcing at all. It is publicly known that motorist or ‘’okada’’ (what is usually known in Nigeria ‘’okada’’) business in Ghana is illegal in accordance of the law but as I speak now it ongoing business in Ashiaman market and it surroundings. In Ghana we have ‘trotro’ and taxi business not ‘okada’ Most of them are Nigeria citizens which have been increasingly social vice in that area. When you report such cases to the police they tell it is not our responsibilities to arrest them. So my question is whose responsibility? And what is the government of Ghana is doing to avert the situation in the Ashiaman community because everyday a lot of issues pop out and it seems like Ashiaman is not part of the capital.      

And also  Sometimes ago, a law was passed that nobody should smoke in the public places as at now it seems like it has fallen into deaf ears. I have witness few public places whereby a person almost lost her life because of this smoke and fortunately there was a police personnel around so I report the incident to him and to my surprised! He boldly told me that police are not supposed to arrest such person I quested who is supposed to enforce those laws?   And most at times those smokers are prominent people in the society who do whatever they please and go away with it.

It is believed that laws are made to curtailed other people from violating others people right.  If laws are made and there is institutions to enforce them why then should we keep on making them then we are wasting time, energy and resources as a nation for nothing. A country without laws is like a house without walls.

                                                 ABIGAIL OPOKU

                                                 GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM

                                                 P.O. BOX GP 667, ACCRA

                                                 nanaakua9391@yahoo.com.

 

ARE TRADITIONAL FESTIVALS LOSING THEIR VALUE BECAUSE OF CHRISTIANITY

The pride of many Ghanaian traditional societies seem to declining as attention is gradually being taken away from our traditional festivals. Festivals in the past were hugely celebrated and attracted many from all walks of life in the Ghanaian setup. These festivals were celebrated in a colourful manner with traditional dance and music.  As homowo, the popular festival of the Ga’s approaches, there are no signs of a pending once a vibrant celebration in the heart of the capital. So Are our religious beliefs overtaking our cultural values? How can we project our traditional values through festivals without throwing away our Christian values? 

GOVERNMENT MUST GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PROGRAMME OF THE HIGH-TECH AND MASS SPRAYING SAYS AN AGRIC EXPECT An agric expects, Dr.Akoto Owusu Afriyie is urging government to revisit the mass spraying programme and high-tech project for cocoa growing in the country. According to him this will help to reduce the current mass destruction of cocoa by the black pod disease. A recent finding has revealed that 25% of Ghana’s cocoa is at the risk of being wiped out by the dreaded disease if measures are not put in place to control it, but Dr. Akoto thinks the mass spaying exercise and the high tech project can save the situation. He is urging government to revisit the exercise Dr.Afriyie calling for a review of the existing policy on cocoa production in Ghana as he says it riddled with many loopholes.