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10th Ghana Garden and Flower Show takes off August 31
• Madam Esther Cobbah (inset) speaking to guests at the launch
Ahead of the 10th edition of the Ghana Garden and Flower Show (GGFS), individuals and corporate bodies have been encouraged to maintain a serene environment and tap into opportunities in the horticulture industry.
Members of the Ghana Garden and Flower Movement (GGFM) insist it is better to preserve green and attractive landscape instead of engaging in activities that impact the environment negatively.
It is against this backdrop that Strategic Communications (Stratcomm) Africa and its partners are once again leading the advocacy to ensure “a greener, cleaner, healthier and wealthier Ghana.”
This year’s event, scheduled for August 31 to September 4, is themed “Growth Unleashed.” It comes with exciting activities and is expected to attract hundreds of players in the industry both home and abroad.
Sufa unveiling the artwork for the event
Ms Esther Cobbah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Stratcomm Africa, speaking at the launch on Monday in Accra, highlighted the economic and aesthetic value of flowers and gardens and commended partners who have supported the show since its inception.
Calling for more collaboration in pushing the green agenda, she expressed worry over noise pollution and poor sanitation and urged developers not to turn the capital city into “concrete jungles.”
She said although the past 10 years had been a difficult journey, GGFM was focused on its mission and help contribute to fighting climate change.
“We are unleashing growth, we are unleashing the beauty and value that Ghana has and we will not stop. Let us make our country beautiful; this is our land, this is our heritage. We can make Ghana more beautiful than the countries we want to go,” she said.
Shlomit Sufa, Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Liberia and Sierra-Leone commended Stratcomm Africa and partners for championing a greener and cleaner environment over the years.
She said the GGFS will “forever be special event” as it was the first show she attended when she arrived in Ghana.
Announcing the start of the Isreali Green Innovation Competition, she said the competition instituted in 2019 will continue to honour individuals and organisations that come up with innovative ideas that promote environmental conservation and agriculture in Ghana.
She said winners of this year’s contest will receive fully paid trip to Israel to participate in industry-related meetings, excursions and conferences to learn best practices and seek potential investors to expand their existing business.
Mrs. Mawuena Trebah, Chief Business Strategist, Inspire Africa Consult, also admitted the floriculture industry was a lucrative industry that can employ more young people.
Rev Charles Okai, Director of the Department of Parks and Gardens, said the department had benefited immensely from collaborating with the GGFM over the years and would continue to support initiatives aimed at protecting the environment.
By Ernest Nutsugah & Elizabeth Ackon
The Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, has expressed concern over delays in the release of the District Assemblies Common Fund, warning that the situation is stalling development across the country.
On his facebook page, he described as a matter of urgent national importance, the Minority Chief Whip pointed to what he sees as a growing crisis of unpaid contractors, abandoned projects, and halted infrastructure works in many districts.
He noted that several communities are grappling with half completed schools, unfinished health facilities, abandoned markets, deteriorating roads, and stalled sanitation projects.
According to him, many contractors who have executed projects for district assemblies have not been paid, forcing some construction firms to demobilise from sites while workers lose their jobs.
He stressed that the District Assemblies Common Fund is not a discretionary allocation but a constitutional requirement under Article 252 of the 1992 Constitution, intended to support development at the local level.
In his view, years of delayed releases and accumulated arrears have weakened district development financing and disrupted projects meant to improve living conditions in communities.
He further argued that some payments made in recent years were largely the settlement of old debts rather than funding for new or ongoing projects, a situation he believes has affected contractor confidence and local economic activity.
He described the issue as more than a budgetary challenge, characterising it as a development emergency and a governance concern.
He therefore urged the appropriate authorities to pay outstanding DACF arrears, settle contractors who have completed their work, and ensure that transfers to districts are automatic and predictable.
He maintained that decentralisation can only succeed when district assemblies receive adequate and timely funding to carry out development projects.
He emphasised that stalled projects directly affect ordinary citizens, since they rely on such infrastructure for education, healthcare, transportation, sanitation, and economic activities.
He called for renewed attention to grassroots development, insisting that national progress should not be concentrated only in major cities but extended to all communities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Richard Appiah, the footballer who killed two children and stored part of their bodies in a fridge at Abesim in the Bono Region in 2021 has been handed a lifetime sentence.
This was after a five member panel of judges at the Accra High Court returned a verdict of guilty against the convict.
Appiah, 32, also a draughtsman would spend the rest of his life in prison after he was convicted of murder.
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BY MALIK SULLEMANA
