In spite of the economic challenges, Ghanaians are in the mood for the season’s celebrations.
And the market spaces and streets in the business districts of our major cities are choked at the seams. On the major roads leading to these centres, both human and vehicular traffic are moving at a snail’s pace.
There is a gridlock on Accra roads with the shopping community forming a sea of heads in the market centres. While thousands of shoppers have besieged the market centres, the traders are at their best ritual of bemoaning low sales, always claiming that last year’s sales were better than this year.
Nonetheless, long before the last week to Christmas, these shop owners and traders had decorated their trading posts to attract the shoppers to patronise their wares. Anybody who has some merchandise to offer from livestock, food crops, especially rice, dresses and shoes, particularly for children has adjusted the prices to make the best from the mad rush associated with the season.
A few operators of shops notably the dealers in known brands engage in special events such as sales, but in our part of the global south, most Ghanaians hardly believe in these sales. Regardless of the credibility of these sales, the business owners carry them out because of the weak consumer protection regime.
Another concern at this stage is the utter disregard for road safety regulations at this period of the year. Drivers and transport operators like our traders want to reap maximum benefits from the opportunities offered by the Christmas festivities. Thanks to the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service who have always teamed up at this time to educate the motoring public to respect traffic regulations in order to make travel on our roads a pleasurable experience.
We remind drivers to respect the sanctity of life anytime they sit behind the steering wheels and respect the regulations guiding the operation of their trade.
Life is a gift from God that must not be lost through the recklessness of others like drivers. This explains why as far back as early December when the NRSA launched the 2023 road safety Christmas campaign, it called on all road users, particularly drivers, to strictly observe the road traffic regulations to ensure an accident-free Yuletide.
The theme for the safety campaign, “Stop speeding – stay alive,” is to draw the attention of drivers to the need to respect all road traffic regulations and more, especially stay within the speed limits on the roads.
Despite all the challenges on the pathway to the celebration of Christmas to commemorate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago, it is our expectation that every family would enjoy the blessings of the season. Christmas is an occasion of love and giving, and that is why God gave us his only begotten Son to come and save us from our sins.
It is not everybody who would have the means to celebrate this epoch event that changed mankind’s relationship with God. To the needy, they may spend the occasion in misery, and this is why we call on the well-to-do and well-meaning never to forget the poor in their budget for Christmas.
Many years ago in the communities, the people, especially children moved from home to home to enjoy the feast of the birth of Christ without their hosts raising an eyebrow. The challenges of our times have eroded the communal bond where everybody is encouraged to mind his or her business.
We hope our people would live according to the dictates of the nation as a religious nation and be each other’s keeper, especially on occasions like Christmas.
So countrymen and women, on occasions like Christmas, we expect all Ghanaians not to forget the message of the heavenly hosts praising God for giving us a Saviour thus, “Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” And a country that believes in interfaith, we invite all believers in any faith to join Christendom to observe the birth of Christ.
To all our readers and stakeholders, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Prosperous New Year.