It is estimated that about 1.4 million people across the world are killed by road collisions annually, with an additional 50 million people sustaining various degrees of injury or disability.
In light of this alarming development, the Men’s Ministry of The Church of Pentecost (PEMEM) has launched a national safety campaign to address the increasing spate of preventable injuries and deaths at the home, workplace and road traffic usage.
The campaign, which is under the theme: “Your Safety Matters, Take Action Now!” with scripture reference from Proverbs 23:3, was officially launched today by the International Missions Director (IMD), Apostle Emmanuel Agyemang Bekoe, at a special ceremony held at the Sophia McKeown Temple (SMT) at La, Accra. Present at the event were the PEMEM Director, Apostle Vincent Anane Denteh, his deputy; Elder Dr. Ebenezer Asamoah Nyarkoh, and other members of the PEMEM National Executive Committee.
Stakeholder agencies such as the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) were all represented at the launch ceremony.
Apostle Anane Denteh, in an address, said that safety is an essential resource for everyday life, needed by all individuals, communities and organisations to realise their aspirations.
Citing provisional data compiled by the MTTD in 2021, the PEMEM Director revealed that the number of commuters killed in road traffic crashes for the first nine months of the year rose by 16.37% compared to the same period the previous year, which is an increase from 1,827 to 2126 in a relatively short period.
This, according to him, indicates the importance of road safety and the urgent need for awareness creation and education campaigns as has been initiated by PEMEM.
He said that the campaign focuses on three aspects of safety – Domestic Safety, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and Road Safety, and called on the Ghanaian citizenry, particularly church members, to support the campaign to ensure safer homes, workplaces and road usage.
The Commanding Officer of the MTTD at the Ghana Police Service in Accra, DCOP Martin Ayih, said his outfit is committed to ensuring that all the categories of road users – drivers, pedestrians, passengers, motor riders, etc are well protected. He said that most carnages on the road could have been avoided if road users adhered to road rules and regulations.
He took the opportunity to highlight some of the road traffic offences that lead to road accidents, such as overspeeding, jumping red lights, and drink driving, among others.
“It is never true that hard drugs or alcohol enhances one’s driving ability. Rather, they impair one’s vision and sense of judgment, and this mostly results in carnages on our roads,” he cautioned.
Mr Ayih also commended the Church for undertaking such a noble initiative and pledged the MTTD’s support to the campaign.
The Deputy Director for Planning and Monitoring at the NRSA, Mr Dan Wuaku, also lauded the Church for the initiative saying that, “This campaign further proves that road safety is truly a shared and collective responsibility.”
He said that the NRSA is embarking on a similar campaign aimed at causing an attitudinal and behavioural change among road users. The NRSA would, thus, partner with the Church towards the collective goal of ensuring the safety of Ghanaians, especially with the Christmas festivities fast approaching, he assured.
The Public Relations Officer of the GNFS, ACFO Timothy Afum, also educated participants on some fire-preventive measures and the need for individuals to conduct risk assessments at the home and workplace. He also lauded The Church of Pentecost for “taking the lead in addressing the safety needs of the citizenry.”
Mr. Kofi Essel (Chief Regulations Officer at the Food Industrial Support Services of the FDA) and Mr. Patrick Beseh (Deputy Director of Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate the MoFA) took turns to educate participants on the importance of food safety. They also assured the Church of their organisation’s support of the initiative.
Speaking in an interview after the event, Elder Ebenezer Asamoah Nyarkoh stressed that the socio-economic implication of these avoidable injuries and deaths to families, organisations and the nation are colossal and are a major drain on the country’s resources.
He, therefore, urged every Ghanaian to support the safety campaign and to see it as a wake-up call for them to start being safety conscious at home, workplace and on the road.
PENTECOST NEWS
