He said the number is part of the total of 320 small dams and dug-outs planned to be constructed in 64 districts in northern Ghana as part of the government’s One-District-One-Dam project.

Akufo-Addo made the announcement at the 2017 National Farmers’ Day celebration in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region on Friday.

He said a water transmission project to distribute water from River Oti, the Black and White Volta to communities for productive cultivation will also begin in 2018.

That, he said, will bring up to 90,000 hectares of farmlands under irrigation.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also expressed worry over the declining state of the Ghanaian agriculture sector, and promised to reverse the trend.

“I can report that 320 small dams and dugout sites in 64 districts, in the northern part of the country, have been earmarked for development. Additionally, 192 will be evaluated in 2018 for development there. A provisional list of 51 dams in Volta, Greater Accra and Central Regions, has been submitted for consideration for rehabilitation. Additionally, a water transmission project will be done to distribute water from rivers Oti, the Black and White Volta to communities for productive cultivation,” he said.

Whilst bemoaning the decline in the agricultural sector, Akufo-Addo said the current state of the sector was worrying considering that s is one of the key areas contributing enormously to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He explained that low productivity, low application of technology, insufficient agro-financing, and land tenure issues among others, all contribute to the declining state of the country’s agriculture sector.

He said, “we can and we should overcome these problems if we keep our focus and ensure effective implementation of policies and programmes”.

President Akufo-Addo said the government is determined to reverse the trend by implementing its agriculture programmes and policies such as the One-Village-One-Dam, and One-district-One-Factory.

“Government will continuously support food production for domestic consumption, provision of raw materials for industry and exports. We aim to increase incomes and enhance livelihoods for farmers and their households.”

He thus called for the “support of all stakeholders, including our gallant farmers, fisher-folk, value chain actors, entrepreneurs, financial institutions and friends of Ghana, towards the realization of Government’s agenda of transformation of the agricultural sector.”

The theme for this year’s farmers’ day event was, “Farming for food and jobs”.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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They are but a few of Nana Akufo-Addo’s hopefully long-lasting new love in African prints.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

The post Akufo-Addo’s new found love; African prints [Photos] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

“We need about two billion dollars for that sector,” he said on The Big Issue on Saturday.

He explained that Joe Ghartey, the Minister nominee for Railways Development should try and raise funds for government to achieve that purpose.

Franklin Cudjoe made comment about the announcement of 36 ministerial nominees named by President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The president’s decision to create some new ministries and re-align others has  been criticized by some Ghanaians.

Railway ministry not necessary

According to Franklin Cudjoe government ought to have merged some of the ministries instead of splitting them citing the transport, aviation and railways ministries as examples.

“It is not necessarily the number of people you appoint to an office that means that you are quite efficient. Railway for instance and aviation and transport and highways is completely superfluous for a country of this small land size,” he said.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday Franklin Cudjoe said the issue with Ghana’s railway sector is lack of money.

“There is a proposal on the table which we made to the Kufuor administration that instead of seeking public investment to be led by the state and its attendant procurement problems why won’t you allow that whole cartage to be owned by different business groups so that you do a road show and allow mining companies and people who cart heavier goods to understand that they own a part of that whole railway sector because we’ve been at it for too long.”

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By: Godwin A. Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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The post $2 billion needed to revive rail sector – Franklin Cudjoe appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Akufo-Addo polled 5,716,026 of votes representing  53.85 percent against his fiercest rival and incumbent President, John Dramani Mahama’s  4,731,277 votes.

The son of a former President of Ghana (ceremonial 1969 – 1972),  he was born in Accra some seventy-two years ago in  Nima, a suburb of Accra.

He started his education at the Government Boys School, Adabraka – Accra, and later at the Rowe Road School, now known as Kinbu Secondary Technical School also in Accra.

He proceeded to England for his O and A level education before returning to Ghana in 1962.

He served as a teacher at Accra Academy Secondary School for about a year before proceeding to the University of Ghana, Legon to read Economics in 1964.

Nana Akufo-Addo proceeded to study law in the United Kingdom and was subsequently called to the English and Ghanaian Bar in 1971 and 1975 respectively.

Before then, he had relocated to France where he practised law for about five years.

In 1975, he returned to Ghana to pursue his legal career with a private firm before co-founding a law firm; Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co.

He is named in Ghana’s history as championing the cause of human rights, rule of law and justice in the country in the 1980s.

Akufo Addo entered mainstream politics serving as the General Secretary of the People’s Movement for Freedom and Justice (PMFJ) that sought to champion the freedom and rights of Ghanaians.

He is credited with working to restore multiparty democratic rule in Ghana in 1979 through a campaign against a referendum for a one-party military-led State.

In 1991, he was the chairman of the Organising Committee of the Danquah-Busia Memorial Club; dedicated to the preservation of the memory and ideals of the two great advocates of Ghanaian democracy, J. B. Danquah and K.A. Busia, Prime Minister of the Progress Party government of the 2nd Republic of Ghana.

The clubs, established across the country subsequently became the branches for the now New Patriotic Party.

In 1992 when Ghana held its first democratic elections, he was named the first national organiser of the NPP and, later that year, campaign manager of the party’s first presidential candidate, Prof. Albert Adu Boahen.

His interest in establishing further promoting his views on democracy in Ghana saw him establish and fund The Statesman newspaper.

From 1996 to 2008, he served as the Member of Parliament for the Abuakwa South Constituency of the Eastern Region and later served as an Attorney General and Minister of Justice between 2001 and 2007 under the erstwhile John Kufour Presidency.

Under the Kufour-administration, he also served as a Foreign Minister.

In 2008, he made an attempt at ascending the Presidential seat in Ghana but lost to the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) John Evans Atta-Mills.

His second attempt against John Mahama of the NDC after the demise of John Evans Mills was unsuccessful. Although he disputed the results of the elections in the Supreme Court, the results were upheld.

He however, won the elections with some 53.85% of valid votes cast in the December 2016 polls against President John Mahama’s 44.40% when the latter sought reelection for a second term in office.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Meet Ghana’s new President, Nana Akufo-Addo appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.