Month: April 2024

We must change from ways of the past – Akpinifia Dagadu IX


Akpinifia Okpekpewuokpe Dagadu IX, Paramount Chief of Akpini Traditional Area, Kpando, has called on Ghanaians to change from the ways of the past ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Akpinifia Dagadu speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) disclosed that some people resorted to violence because they had grievances.

He said others also snatched ballot boxes because things did not favour them, adding that these ways were ‘archaic and not progressive’.

Akpinifia Dagadu urged citizens to assess their lives and assess the contributions of various governments and vote peacefully.

He called on the youth to put themselves out for political leadership, to prepare them for leadership roles.

Akpinifia Dagadu asked the youth to be innovative in their thinking and take up the helm of management of the country.

The Paramount Chief also revealed plans for development projects in the area, especially health, and said the Easter festivity was marked in aid of a dilapidated health centre, which was providing care for re
sidents and served as a place of delivery.

‘We do not want our mothers to continue dying at the point of childbirth. We do not want our citizens to go to crowded, busy, and big Hospitals when they can be treated in smaller facilities for certain minor ailments.’

Akpinifia Dagadu said they had decided to renovate, equip, staff, and upgrade the Kpando Hospital to a Polyclinic to augment the health needs of the people.

He called on the people to explore tourist destinations in the Area including, Marian Grotto, lakes, islands, and other destinations in the Volta region and called on investors, who were interested in tourism development to come and partner with the Area to help develop its tourism potential.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Election 2024: My solutions are bold for the future- Dr Bawumia


Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Flagbearer, has made a compelling case for his election as President of the Republic, saying he has bold solutions for the country’s future.

The Vice President made these remarks when addressing a mammoth crowd in Kwahu Mpraeso after a health walk at the weekend.

Dr Bawumia said he had never been a President of Ghana before and considering his impact as Vice President, a vote for him would translate into ‘bold solutions’, while a vote for his main opponent, former President John Mahama meant ‘a vote for old solutions’

‘Somebody has been President before and the question is: What did he do as President to address the problems of the country?… He had no solutions and we all saw how he performed, leading to his exit from office. And now he says Ghanaians should bring him back?,’ Dr. Bawumia asked, amid cheers from the crowd.

‘I have not been President before. I have only been a Vice President and as Vice President, I can point to a number of g
enerational issues I have helped to resolve. By the grace of God, if you give me the opportunity, I will do more as President and resolve many issues.’

The Vice President said he was coming up with new ideas and bold solutions to move Ghana forward.

As I said, I am coming up with a new tax system which will bring a flat tax rate and grant tax amnesty to businesses and individuals.

‘The future is technology, and the youth of this country are important to drive what we want to do in technological advancement.

‘That is why I have said we will train about one million young Ghanaians in coding and software applications under my Presidency.

‘I am also revising the National Service Scheme. It will no longer be compulsory. Once you are out of school and you can get a job straightway, you don’t have to undertake national service. I want to make it very simple for all,’ he reiterated.

Dr Bawumia also re-affirmed his Ghana Card for passport policy, explaining that with biometric details captured in the NIA Databas
e, there should be no need for a Ghanaian passport applicant to go through another process to obtain information.

‘Once you have a Ghana Card, all you need to do is to pay for the passport application fees online and your passport will be processed and delivered to you without going through another biometric verification process,’ Dr Bawumia added.

On comparative records between the NPP and NDC, Dr Bawumia said the data showed that the NDC was nowhere near the NPP in many sectors.

He listed the NPP’s superior record in education, economic indicators, construction of hospitals, tourism, sports infrastructure, digitalisation and many more.

The NPP Flagbearer urged the rank and file of the party to work hard to win the 2024 presidential election and parliamentary majority.

Thousands of the youth participated in the early-morning walk, which also had many NPP stalwarts, including National Chairman, Stephen Ayesu Ntim, General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong, and some Ministers and Deputy Ministers of State.

A
lso present were some aspirants who took part in the recent NPP presidential primaries.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mastercard Foundation supports AMAATI Company to create 22,000 jobs


AMAATI, with support from the Mastercard Foundation and IDH, has created over 22,000 jobs for the youth on the Fonio value chain valued at 200,000 dollars in two years.

Fonio is a neglected indigenous crop, that has the unique ability to regenerate depleted soils after three years of continuous cultivation.

Madam Salma Abdulai, the Co-Founder and CEO of AMAATI, in an interview, said they also empowered women, making the now decisions makers in their communities and families, where they were respected because they were making dignified income that was very important to the Company.

She said access to land for woman in Northern Ghana was a challenge because women did not own lands.

The CEO said this had made them to work on people’s farms as labourers to make ends meet.

Madam Abdulai said it was then that she heard of Fonio and how it could grow on marginal land, meanwhile, there was a lot of lands in the North that was degraded.

She said the Company decided to get these unfertile lands for these women to
cultivate Fonio to enable them to make not just income but dignified income.

‘Fonio has the ability to regenerate the land after three years of continuous cultivation,’ she added.

She said the Company had also supported 4000 smallholder women farmers to increase their yields by at least 10 per cent making more income for them.

She said the Company had been able to link to market and they were working to let other markets on board to generate revenue for the Company and make them a sustainable business.

She said the Company had expanded from 10 landowners to over 5000 smallholder women farmers.

‘Generally, we have increased our supplies by 20 per cent because of this initiative,’ she said.

The CEO said the partnership had expanded the scope of AMAATI in terms of the smallholder farmers and their supplies for the past two years.

She said the partnership with the Foundation and IDH, the Company had been able to carry out ploughing services for smallholder farmers, provide seeds and support them with post-
harvest management tools to enable them to have quality products.

She said as a pioneering company reviving Fonio in Ghana, we facilitate women to have access to marginal lands to cultivate Fonio.

She said their mission was to create sustainable communities in West Africa using Fonio which nourishes the land, people, and society.

‘Our objective is to stimulate production and consumption of Fonio and its associated products by improving post-harvest processing and we seek to reduce the cost of processing, minimize production difficulties, improve the quality of the finished products, and increase the supply of processed products to urban and export markets,’ he added.

It has also diversified the livelihood of 4,888 smallholder women farmers by addressing their limited rights to land and natural resources and providing them with a unique opportunity to advance development for themselves and their communities at large.

Madam Fuesina Lamboo, a Fonio farmer and a beneficiary, said, ‘we do not need to suffer a
gain, and we are happy AMAATI is here.’

Madam Mobo Adasuo, another beneficiary, said, ‘we do not need the Company to leave our area.’

Source: Ghana News Agency