Giving meaning to Easter: Safety Matters
It seems to have become an annual ritual. Every year, many families and friends go to the various beaches to climax the Easter celebrations.
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This is surely a good thing as it allows patrons to unwind and families to spend quality time together and resume work energised. But by the time the celebrations are over, what started as fun would have turned to loss of lives and sorrow.
There are always reports of people who never made it out of the waters, followed by the washing ashore of bodies.
One of the reports in the Daily Graphic on Thursday has it that as many as nine bodies were washed ashore at Krokrobite, Bojo and Sakumono beaches.
Yet, every Easter Monday, people go to the beaches. After all, the fact that others have drowned cannot prevent others from drinking water. And so the unfortunate scenario repeats itself every year.
These happenings, however, point to the fact that safety measures at our beaches are not adequate. Though there are usually some lifeguards on hand, it is obvious that the numbers are often inadequate, considering the large number of patrons who throng our beaches.
It is about time the government and its agencies took more pragmatic measures to forestall such needless deaths. This is surely in line with the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens.
As a first step, I think the Ghana Navy, which has very good divers, should deploy more of its personnel at the various beaches during such peak periods.
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Most importantly, all media outlets, including print, electronic and even drama, should be marshalled to sensitise our citizens to play it safe.
It is important to stress that those who fall victim to this are normally part the productive work force, as very few old people may patronise the beaches, if any at all.
In the extreme, the authorities may even consider banning the sale of alcoholic beverages at the beaches during such occasions, as it is sometimes evident that the excessive consumption of alcohol has been a contributory factor to beach accidents.
In the Christian world, it is widely believed that Jesus Christ died and resurrected on the third day so that those who believe in Him may live.
To celebrate His death and resurrection with such huge numbers of needless deaths is not only ironic but also un-Christlike.
The government should play a lead role in this so that come next Easter and the ones which will follow, we can have more meaningful Easter celebrations devoid of deaths.
Writer’s email : doreen.hammond@graphic.com.gh