Speaking at the annual festival of the Lawra traditional area in the Upper West Region, to climax their annual Kobine festival, the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, reiterated his administration’s commitment to the development of agriculture in order to improve the quality of the lives of Ghanaians.

“Agriculture remains the fuel that powers all our activities in Ghana, as we have seen, we ignore it at our risk. Now, government will certainly not ignore it, it is my pledge, that farmers, food crop farmers, fish farmers and livestock farmers will all have the support and respect they deserve from my government,” Nana Addo said.

He added that, government, with the assistance of the government of Canada, would purchase the 3,000 motorbikes and 250 pickups to help farmers improve the agricultural sector of Ghana.

The Paramount Chief of the Lawra traditional area, Naa Puowele Karbo III, commended the president for his government’s interventions in the sector which have resulted in an improvement in agriculture in the area.

He also challenged government to expedite action on the national climate change policy to ensure its implementation at the regional and district level, to address issues of climate change in the region, since the region is most at risk of climate change.

“We are aware that the national climate change policy has been formulated but its implementation is yet to trickle down to regional, sub regional and local levels,” he said.

Naa Puowele Karbo III, stated that, agricultural platforms intended to mainstream climate change issues into the district assembly planning and budgeting processes, have been established, but bemoaned the fact that their operationalization has been bedeviled with apathy, lack of resources and funding.

The Member of Parliament for Lawra, who is also the Deputy Roads and Highways Minister, Anthony Abayifaa Karbo, confirmed that funds have been released to contractors working on major roads in the region, and pleaded with the residents to support the government to deliver on its promises.

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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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He made the declaration during a working visit to the Brong Ahafo Region on Tuesday.

The US Ambassador was hosted by the Regional Minister, Mr. Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh.

“About 38 million USD is being invested in the Agricultural sector. We are investing both in cash crops like cocoa and cashew, but we are also investing in maize and soya and improving seed varieties during testing,” the US Ambassador said.

He added that, the US Government is “working very closely with all of the companies in the cocoa sector, to ensure that the farmers get the best possible prices for their cocoa” adding that “we are doing the same in the cashew sector.”

Planting for Food and Jobs

This comes on the back of the launch of a flagship agric programme in Ghana dubbed: “Planting for Food and Agriculture.”

The Planting for Food and Jobs will be rolled out in all 216 districts across the country, and will involve the supply of farm resources such as high yielding and improved seedlings to participating farmers.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has said that, it intends to revolutionize agriculture in the country by introducing the programme which is expected to create more than 750,000 jobs.

The programme, according to the government, would also motivate farmers to grow staple foods such as maize, millet, and beans.

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By: Michael Tsatsu Axolu/citifmonline/Ghana

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She also stated that ex convicts must be made to feel wanted to prevent them from going back to their bad ways.

She said this in an address read on her behalf at the dedication of the Saint Martin’s Prison Catholic Church in Kumasi.

The church,  located at the South Suntreso Prison Barracks,  is the first of its kind to be established in the country, and its construction was started about nine years ago.

Officers and men of the service, their families and Catholic faithfuls living near the barracks would worship there.

Madam Baffour-Awuah said every effort should be made to assist freed-prisoners to lead normal and dignified lives.

She said the negative perceptions, contempt and hostile attitudes towards them should be avoided,  so that they would become become part of  society,  and resist the temptation of committing crime.

“They would need our love, care, affection and support to live within the law.”

She commended  Reverend Father Martin Padi, Ashanti Regional Prisons Chaplain, for spearheading the project

Emeritus Metropolitan Archbishop of Kumasi, the Most Rev Peter Akwasi Sarpong, in a homily,  asked the congregation not to allow the church to remain a mere building,  but a true place of worship, where the word of God would be shared to change lives.

Source: GNA

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