Day: May 22, 2024

The seventh Annual Agricultural Students’ Career Guidance and Mentorship Dialogue Bootcamp, (AG-STUD 2024) has opened in Accra with the call on the youth to challenge the negative perceptions that farmers were uneducated.

Dr Bryan Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture, said the youth was an integral part of the nation’s development agenda and must help to change the misconception that farmers were uneducated, and agriculture entailed arduous physical labour with minimal economic returns.

‘In reality, modern agriculture transcends traditional notions; it now offers diverse career opportunities in fields such as research, environmental sustainability, financial management, engineering, and various technical areas for young people to explore.’

The six days Bootcamp, organised by Agrihouse Foundation is on the theme: ‘Accelerating our efforts in enabling and advancing career opportunities for Agri-youths: Role of public, private, and development partners.’

He said the AG-STUD was an initiative that exe
mplifies the strategic measures and endeavours that value chain actors and stakeholders were implementing to dispel the misconceptions surrounding agribusiness among the youth.

Dr Acheampong said, ‘Such initiatives serve as platforms for nurturing understanding and fostering enthusiasm for agriculture among young individuals, ultimately shaping a more vibrant and informed agricultural sector.’

He said these boot camps over the years had positively impacted the lives of over 6,000 participants, with most of them securing employment, initiating their businesses, and receiving invaluable mentorship and training from industry experts.

The sector Minster urged participants to make the most of the sessions planned for them during the period, saying it was a chance to explore new ideas, innovations, and technologies that were transforming agriculture.

‘It is an opportunity to be part of a community that is passionate about agriculture and committed to its growth and development.’

‘We firmly believe that the fut
ure of agriculture rests in the hands of the youth, and we are steadfast in our commitment to offering the essential support and resources to aid in your

success. I have no doubt that you will rise to the challenge and elevate Ghana’s agriculture to unprecedented heights’, he added.

Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, Member of Parliament for Klottey Korle Constituency, said the beauty of the boot camp was not just the skill of understanding which variety to plant, which season to plant, and where to plant, but developing oneself to become that successful agribusiness person inspiring lives and changing societies.

She said the agriculture sector, despite its numerous challenges, held so many potentials for the youth, saying ‘As young people with interest in the sector you must be focused, serious, willing to learn and have the discipline and integrity and you will succeed, while others remain unemployed.’

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings who is also a Patron of the Agrihouse Foundation urged participants to support one anoth
er, and understand the value of building the force of working together, because agriculture in Ghana could be so harsh and discouraging when done in isolation, hence the need to know who to reach out to within the sector.

‘Your being here is very important, take advantage of every single opportunity here, invest your time and be willing to learn. This goes beyond the class and what you learn on the field, take this as your choice and do it with a bit of seriousness, commit yourself, and be disciplined.’

She said, ‘As young people who will be taking various positions soon, keep the challenges of the sector in mind, and let your voices be heard because there are policies in place, but the challenges are real and unacceptable, and we must make things better.’

Ms Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, Founder and Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation said the AG-STUD aimed to enable the Agri youth to understand the diverse career opportunities within the sector that they could embrace and get influential people to ins
pire them.

‘So, we have divers coaches and mentors, who will help them build the can-do spirit and support them to develop their business plans that can be bankable and generate enough support.’

Some activities lined up for the boot camp include Agri-ted talk mentorship soft skills development sessions, Ag-Voyage and coach meet-up sessions, Agri-inspire, mindset shaping, innovative role play and credibility and accountability sessions,

Others are Agri-booster and competency-based training sessions, Agri-value, the future of the Agri-youth dialogue, beginner agribusiness competition and input dealer seal pitch.

Winners for the beginner agribusiness competition would be supported with starter packs, while an input dealer deal shop would be established for the winner of the input dealer deal pitch. In all 350 students are expected to participate. 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Some bakers in Tema say switching from traditional clay ovens to aluminium ovens in baking has drastically reduced work overload and bread-making stress.

Ms Glady Afari, the manager of No Break Bakery in Tema Community 1, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that she had not regretted switching from the clay oven to the aluminium one.

Ms Afari said initially, due to her attachment to the old oven, she was reluctant to switch but had to do so after residents reported her to the assemblyman for air pollution during baking.

She said that, unlike the clay oven, she could bake at any time without offending the residents, explaining that with the clay oven, she had to burn firewood for hours before the bricks of the oven would get heated up.

She added that in the process, smoke engulfed the community; therefore, she could only embark on the process of baking late in the evening when people were in their rooms and had to wait for hours to ensure that the firewood burned into ashes, with periodic spreading of the fir
e in the oven.

Ms Afari further added that the wood ash would then have to be swept out of the oven and inside cleaned, ready for the dough to be put in, indicating that if the oven did not heat up well, the bread could sink, and if it overheated, the bread would be burned.

According to her, apart from that sometimes the firewood came with reptiles, recalling how a scorpion bit one worker while putting the wood into the oven.

This, she said, had become a thing of the past, as she could bake and regulate the heat without any danger.

‘I have seen that a lot of differences existed between the two. The baking time of the aluminium oven depends on when you want the bread; for instance, if you want to bake it in the morning or at any time, you just put in your dough, and within an hour the bread is ready. No smoke, no stress involved,’ she stated.

Ms Afua Badua, a baker, said even though the clay ovens produce bread that could take days before it spoils and has an aroma, one of their disadvantages was pollutio
n and other stress related to preparing the oven.

Ms Badua said, ‘You can’t even sleep; you put the firewood in bundles depending on the quantity of bread to be baked; for instance, when baking about four bags of flour, you will need about two and a half bundles of the firewood, which must burn till it turns to charcoal and then ashes; sweep it out and use the absorbed heat to bake the bread. As we are waiting for it to burn, people in the house can’t sleep.’

She indicated that the old system of baking drained the baker of energy and time, adding that apart from the delicious taste the clay oven gives to the bread, it had a lot of disadvantages, as it took space and time, polluted the environment, and could lead to deforestation because of the firewood usage.

She, however, stated that its advantage was that it was natural and that after baking, the heat in the oven could be used for boiling water, smoking fish, heating food, and other things, unlike aluminium ones.

Ms Badua also called for some research i
nto the possible side effects of the aluminium oven-baked bread on consumers and the modification of the clay oven so that one could easily choose the one they wanted without health and environmental implications.

Ms Anastasia Ansah, a baker at Kpone, said because the traditional oven was made of bricks and clay, it is good for the health of consumers, noting that the chemicals from the aluminium oven might be very harmful to human health.

Ms Ansah noted that every bread baked in the traditional oven had a specific flavour, and the bread could last up to a week without becoming mouldy, whereas the modern oven bread develops mould faster.

She described the process of baking in the traditional oven as easy, adding that after placing the bread in the oven, one must wait for 30 minutes before opening the oven to avoid the bread sinking.

She also added that if the oven becomes cold while baking, a piece of lighted charcoal in a coal pot could be placed inside.

‘The traditional oven is the safest type of oven
to use because it does not use gas or explosives that cause harm. I urge bakers to normalise the use of the traditional oven because it is safe, health-friendly, and harmless.’

She disclosed that even though the traditional oven was no longer popular in urban areas because of pollution, some communities in Ghana still preferred the traditional oven and used it in their baking.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A study seeking to assess the effectiveness of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme and One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative, has recommended the need for the government to prioritise producing locally improved seed varieties and fertilizers to help address issues of foreign exchange fluctuations in the country.

The study recommended better targeting strategies to enhance the affordability of improved seed varieties and fertilizers, especially for smallholder farmers to enhance the progress and sustainability of the initiatives.

It further proposed to the government to initiate promotional linkage strategies and create more awareness among actors across the two programmes regarding the calibre of support that could be obtained to enhance their operations.

Dr Martin Hushie, a Research Scientist at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Nyankpala Campus, presented the recommendations during a validation and dissemination workshop on PFJ and 1D1F initiatives in Tamale.

The study was co
nducted in seven districts in the Northern Belt namely Tamale Metropolis, Savelugu, Builsa North and South, Nanumba North, West Gonja and West Mamprusi Municipalities.

It also proposed that government and other stakeholders must prioritise the provision of irrigation facilities, especially on the PFJ initiative to help maximise its holistic impact on farmers.

The study pointed out that although the PFJ and 1D1F were confronted with challenges including delays in the disbursement of government support, high cost of electricity supply and power fluctuations, inadequate improved seed varieties and fertilizers, they had the potential to champion the country’s industrialisation and economic growth agenda.

The findings, among others, also identified insufficient funding as a major threat towards the successful implementation and sustainability of the PFJ and 1D1F initiatives and proposed a long-term sustainable plan to enable future administrations to follow the same.

The workshop was organised by Third World N
etwork – Africa (TWN – Africa) in partnership with Innovate Development Alternatives (IDEAS) and supported by the Open Society Foundation (OSP).

It was held under the theme: ‘Contribution PFJ and IVIF to Ghana’s Structural Economic Transformation’, and it attracted major stakeholders in the agriculture sector within the districts where the study was conducted.

Mr Sylvester Wullo Bagooro, Programme Officer, TWN – Africa said the workshop was to solicit stakeholders’ views on the PFJ and 1D1F, based on the findings of the study to enable them to appreciate the progress, challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of the initiatives to inform policy directions.

He added that it was also aimed at assessing their effectiveness in promoting economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction.

He said similar validation and dissemination workshops on the PFJ and 1D1F would be held in the Volta and Southern Belts to draw a holistic viewpoint on the initiatives.

Mr Coleman Agyeyomah, Director
of IDEAS, expressed optimism that the aftermath of the engagements would provoke government and private sector collaboration as an essential tool to drive economic transformation in the country.

Mr Isaac Pabia, National Secretary of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, hinted that the electronic registration process for the implementation of PFJ phase two was experiencing a series of challenges in most rural communities adding that it was frustrating so many farmers.

Reverend Alirimbey Eloir, Representative, Amaabisa Company Limited in the Upper East Region lauded TWN – Africa and its partners for linking the two initiatives to identify some of the challenges and opportunities associated with them.

He called for broader and well-coordinated public policies on agriculture and economic transformation to help minimise poverty and deprivation in the northern sector.

Source: Ghana News Agency

World Vision Ghana, a Christian relief and advocacy organisation has supported two districts in the Upper East Region with Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities and multiple nutrient supplements worth 5,000 dollars (GH?72,500).

The items which included hand washing facilities, liquid soap, dustbins, toilet rolls and multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women were given to Bawku West and Tempane Districts to support 10 health facilities and 10 schools in each to complement efforts to promote good sanitation and hygiene practices, welfare of the vulnerable especially children and enhance maternal and child health.

The support is under the Healthy Environment and Wellness (HEAL) project being implemented by World Vision Ghana in the two districts in four area councils including Tanga Timonde and Gbantongo in the Bawku West and Warinyanga and Kpipira in the Tempane.

At brief ceremonies at separate locations to hand over the items to the beneficiary districts, Mr Isaiah Chentiwuni Jonah, Ac
ting Cluster Manager for Bawku West, World Vision Ghana, said the support was in line with their commitments to contribute to the protection of children and creating an enabling environment for children to reach their full potentials.

‘We are not just handing over hand washing facilities, liquid soap, dustbins, multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women; we are investing in the future of our children and the health of our communities. These provisions are more than mere items; they are a testament to our dedication to fostering a healthier, cleaner, and more prosperous environment for all,’ he said.

The Acting Cluster Manager indicated that proper hygiene was one of the key ways of preventing the spread of diseases and noted that the hand washing facilities would enable the staff, clients in the health facilities and students in the school to practice regular hand washing.

‘By empowering our students with the means to maintain clean hands, we are safeguarding their health, reducing absenteeism,
and ensuring a more conducive learning environment,’ he added.

Mr Jonah explained that the inclusion of the multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women underscored their commitment to maternal and child health and expressed the confidence that it would go a long way to contribute to reducing risks associated with lack of nutrition in pregnancy and ensure the health of pregnant women and children.

‘Lastly, the provision of dustbins represents our collective effort to maintain clean and sanitary surroundings. Proper waste disposal is essential in preventing pollution, controlling diseases, and creating a healthier environment. By equipping our schools and health facilities with these dustbins, we are instilling a sense of responsibility and encouraging sustainable practices among our young generation,’ he stressed.

Mr Cosmos Atawoje Minyila, District Director, Ghana Health Service, Bawku West, lauded World Vision Ghana for the support over the years and noted that the donation of items especially t
he multiple micronutrient supplements was timely.

He said that currently there were many pregnant women in the district who were anaemic and added that the support would go a long way to help reduce the challenge.

Mr Eugene Osei Yeboah, District Director, Ghana Health Service, Tempane, said the WASH facilities would contribute significantly to ensuring Infection Prevention and Control practice and ensure effective monitoring to ensure proper maintenance and usage to achieve maximum impact.

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) for Public Health project implemented by WaterAid Ghana, a WASH-focused organisation is contributing positively to good sanitation and hygiene practices at Asaloko in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region.

Through the intervention, the community inculcated communal spirit and instituted measures which have helped them attain an Open Defecation Free status and sustained the status for six years running and are on the verge of being sanitised.

They achieved these feet by supporting every household with approximately 60 in number in the community and about 1,050 residents to build and install a household latrine.

Through the formulation of by-laws, backed by traditional laws the community instituted monthly clean-up exercises and punished residents who defecated and littered the environment indiscriminately.

These came to light at Asaloko during a community durbar to showcase the success of the community after being declared open defection-free in the last six y
ears.

Mr Jerry Nyaaba, Secretary of the Water and Sanitation Management Team of the community, recalled that before the intervention in 2015, open defection and poor sanitation practices were major challenges in the community.

‘Before the intervention of WaterAid, Asaloko was a community, which cannot be described as seen today, we were facing a lot of problems concerning WASH due to our ignorance, but through WaterAid education and advocacy, we have achieved so many things which have brought us to our current state and must be appreciated,’ he said.

According to the Secretary, through knowledge acquired from the interventions, the community resolved to work collectively through a series of meetings, adherence to laid down laws and agreed principles and communal labour to develop the community.

He said apart from public education, the community leaders also introduced fines as punishment for perpetrators of poor sanitation and hygiene practices in the community.

‘For example, in 2017, a community member
was caught defecating outside and was fined GHS60.00, this alone put fear in people in the community. Another sanitation law that really did the magic for us was, that you cannot fetch water in the community if you don’t have a household latrine and because of this measure, as of 31st December 2016, about 98 per cent of the houses were already having household latrines,’ he said.

Apart from that, he said through the communal spirit, the community members were able to pull local resources together to raise a block for a kindergarten school in their community and led advocacy for the construction of a Junior High School in their Electoral Area (Gorigo Electoral Area) which was serving students in the area.

He added that through their work, WaterAid Ghana in addition to the capacity building constructed a mechanised borehole for the community which was a relief, especially for pregnant women and children, ‘we were still relying on our existing two boreholes, where people have to walk about 5km to 10km to have
access to water, sometimes people travel out of the community to search for water’.

Mr Nyaaba said the community was determined to be sanitised by the end of the year, advocated for the construction of a community-based Health Planning Services compound and appealed to organisations for assistance.

Ms Fauzia Aliu, Policy, Campaigns, and Inclusion Manager, WaterAid Ghana, lauded the Asaloko community for their achievements and urged other communities to emulate such examples to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals particularly goal six.

In a speech read on her behalf, Ms Rita Atanaga, District Chief Executive, Bongo, said open defecation was still a major challenge in the district and appealed for collective efforts to address the challenge.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Strategic Communications Africa Limited (Stratcomm Africa) will unveil a programme for the year-long celebration of its 30th Anniversary celebration.

Monday, May 13, 2024, marks a major milestone in the life of Stratcomm Africa, 30 years since its establishment.

A statement issued in Accra by Stratcomm Africa said from a time when there was scant attention paid to the value of Public Relations and the communication industry in Ghana’s public and private sectors, Stratcomm Africa ventured into this space.

It said the company was proud to have contributed to the increasing recognition of public relations and communication as professional disciplines that had great relevance to Ghana’s development agenda, corporate profitability as well as to human advancement, international co-operation, and world peace.

‘We are grateful to all our clients, board members, employees, contract staff, suppliers, partners, Professional communities, families, friends, neighbours and all other stakeholders over these thirty years
; they have enabled us to stay the course and continue delivering excellent communication services and products,’ it added.

It said with the evolution of the communication industry globally, they were excited at the opportunities for being creative and technologically savvy in meeting the communication needs of its clients.

The statements said they were committed to its vision of being recognized as the best provider of Total Communications services across Africa, using research-based insights that drive high-quality products, including products in the digital space, always designed to create value for clients.

Ms. Esther Amba Numaba Cobbah, Chief Executive of Stratcomm Africa, said ‘We give God all the Glory. We say to Him today with Isaiah, the prophet, ‘all that we have accomplished you have done for us, your name alone do we honour.’

She said as they head into the next phase of growth, stakeholders, clients, staff, Ghana, Africa, and the world could count on them to deliver even more value.

Source:
Ghana News Agency

Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo has urged head porters (Kayayes) to leverage existing educational opportunities to improve themselves.

She advised the young girls to look beyond the Kayaye job and take advantage of some educational opportunities offered by the government and non-governmental organizations.

The Chief Justice was speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Officers of the Justice Club of Orange Girls from the CMB and Madina Markets.

Eleven executives from CMB and Madina markets were inaugurated to lead the affairs of the Club.

The Chief Justice’s Mentoring Programme has existed for the past 16 years.

The original idea for the programme was to mentor young girls into becoming influential people in society and, more importantly, to emulate the then Chief Justice, Justice Georgina Wood.

The programme’s objective has since moved towards encouraging both male and female students from second-cycle schools and the orange girls to take an interest in law and how it affects their society.

Following
the successful implementation and an in-depth assessment of the programme over the years, Chief Justice Torkornoo introduced the enhanced Justice’s Mentoring Programme as part of her programme towards contributing to the development of the youth in Ghana.

Justice Torkornoo advised the new executives to prioritize the interests of the members over their own by constantly engaging the members in the leadership decisions of the Club.

She said these opportunities could help the young ladies to pursue other interests for themselves in the future.

The Chief Justice advised the head potters to present themselves for mentoring opportunities, since their mentors, which comprised of judges from the various courts, were readily available to guide them on how to navigate the challenges of adulthood.

Justice Professor Olivia Anku Tsede, a Justice of the Court of Appeal and Chairperson for the CJ’s Mentoring

Programme said the Club presented a transformative opportunity for marginalized young girls to gain empowerment
, education, and advocacy skills.

She said the Club had helped head porters to amplify their voices, advocate for their rights, and challenge societal norms that perpetuated their marginalization.

She disclosed that two head porters, who participated in the programme have made it to the University of Ghana and the Accra Technical University, respectively.

Mr Faisal Bawa, the Programme Analyst for UNFPA, said the UN body would play a crucial role in the programme to encourage girl child education.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Employers Association (GEA) has expressed profound gratitude to the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) for its support and commitment to promoting a secure and responsible digital environment in Ghana.

Mr Alex Frimpong, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GEA, said the partnership between the GEA and NHO had been instrumental in bringing vital digital initiatives to fruition in Ghana.

‘We find ourselves at a pivotal moment, as the digital age reshapes the way we conduct business and manage data,’ Mr Frimpong stated at the opening of a Seminar on Cyber Security and Data Protection in Accra.

‘It is imperative for us, especially as employers, to stay ahead of the evolving cyber threats that pose significant risks to our enterprises and the personal data entrusted to us by our employees and clients.’

The two-day seminar, which was organised by the GEA in partnership with the Cyber Security Authority and Data Protection Commission with the support of NHO, was aimed at creating awareness and dee
pening the understanding of employers in the everyday online/offline interactions with Information Communication and Technology (ICT) devises.

Mr Frimpong said the seminar had, therefore, been meticulously designed to enable the GEA to inform and educate employers about risks associated with cyber threats and attacks as well as equip them with the requisite strategies to protect the digital assets of their organizations.

He urged participants at the seminar to engage fully and think critically about how the knowledge acquired at the seminar could be implemented within their respective organisations.

He reiterated that their collective effort was crucial in fostering a culture of trust and responsibility that would resonate throughout their industries and beyond.

‘To the broader employer community, let this seminar and message serve as a call to action to prioritise cybersecurity and data protection within your operations,’ he stated.

‘The skills and strategies we develop here are critical in protecting n
ot just our businesses, but also the rights and freedoms of all individuals whose data we manage.’

Mr Eric Bansah, Principal Manager of Cyber Security Authority, reiterated that the digital era had come to stay; saying, ‘Gone are the days when the days when we had the traditional practice of working and it is evident that we cannot go back to that traditional era.’

He noted that the digital era had also come as a juicy period for cybercriminals as well; adding that ‘it is very important that as we embrace digitisation, we also try to understand the aspect of cyber security’.

Mr Akrobotu Quintin, Director for Regulatory and Compliance at the Data Protection Commission, said, ‘When it comes to data protection, there is no one that protects your data better than yourself.

‘We are in a digital era, businesses are digitising their processes, Governments are digitizing but what comes along with this is threats on personal data. No business exists without processing personal information.’

He said in this digita
l era whilst they innovate, make decisions, and use data to determine the future of their organisations, it was important to appreciate the responsibility that comes along with that adding that it was important to appreciate information security and the privacy of people.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr George -Ramsey Benamba, Chief Editor of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), has emphasised the importance of journalists training for responsible reporting in all aspects of their duties.

Speaking on the topic, ‘The Media’s Role and Credible Election’ at the third African Media Convention, he noted that the media played a critical role in society and contributed to the peace of the nation.

Ghana would go to the polls on December 7, 2024, for its ninth election, which would be another test of the country’s democracy.

Mr Benamba stressed that for the media to cover elections effectively, their capacity needed to be built on modern steps of reporting to empower to sensitize citizens about pending issues in the country.

He announced that some media houses, including the Ghana News Agency, had started training their reporters towards the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections and advised reporters not to rely on hearsay but to research for accurate and balanced information before putting it in the public do
main.

Mr Benamba urged journalists to understand that there could be no development without peace and warned against putting out negative stories that could incite the public, especially during elections.

He said the media’s role in influencing peace was critical and could not be overstated and urged journalists to be transparent and fact-check all information before publication to prevent violence and sustain peace.

He encouraged journalists to produce accurate fact-check reports to ensure the safety of the people.

Mr Dominic Hlordzi, Deputy Secretary of GBC Political Broadcast and Complaint Committee urged the media to follow the ethics of the profession in their reportage, saying ‘The media is ready and fully prepared for the 2024 elections.’

He mentioned that reporters were sometimes attacked and had their gadgets confiscated by some supporters of political parties and entreated journalists to be more responsible and professional in their duties and not allow themselves to be influenced by any politi
cal party.

The convention was an opportunity for journalists to share knowledge, exchange ideas, safeguard media freedoms, and promote excellence in journalism in Africa.

Madam Nicole Kigamba told the GNA in an interview after the session that she was very pleased with the organization of the program and the topics discussed were very relevant.

She wished the days of the next convention would be extended for more days to enable further topics to be discussed since journalists have a key role to play in changing the narratives of Africa.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Christian Mothers Association (CMA) in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has organized a day’s workshop on Ghana’s electoral processes for a cross-section of its members at Sefwi-Wiawso in the Western North Region.

The theme for this year’s training programme is, ‘Women in Politics and Leadership.’

Mrs Agnes Gyabeng, Sefwi-Wiawso Diocesan President of the CMA welcoming participants described the event as timely and beneficial.

She commended Konrad Adenauer Stiftung for the support in improving women’s capacity in leadership and development.

According to Mrs Olivia Ansu Amponsah, Executive Secretary of CMA, the programme is held every election year to prepare the members adequately for the exercise.

Mr. Sam Awudu Dramani, Western North Regional Director of the NCCE, who facilitated the workshop on voter registration, and voter civic education, among other topics, urged Ghanaian mothers and parents in general, to desist from allowing their under-age children to regi
ster in the ongoing limited registration exercise, to produce a credible voter register for the general elections.

He indicated that education in democracy ensured empowerment in the quality of governance by enabling citizens to understand the practice and tenets of democracy.

Mr. Dramani added that peace education as a component of civic education, promoted the culture of tolerance, understanding, and respect for individual, group and societal opinions and values – all, in a bid to ensure a peaceful environment, before, during, and after the election, and to always sustain peaceful coexistence.

Source: Ghana News Agency