President John Dramani Mahama over the weekend inspected ongoing works on a 6,000-birds-per-hour meat processing factory at Bechem in the Ahafo Region.

The facility, being developed by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, is a key component of government’s broader strategy to achieve self-sufficiency in poultry production and reduce Ghana’s heavy dependence on imported chicken.

President Mahama, who toured the site to assess the pace of work, was briefed by the project contractor that the factory is currently 50 percent complete.

The contractor assured the President that construction would be fully completed by March next year.

He further disclosed that all required equipment for the processing plant has already been procured and is ready for installation once the building works are finished.

Once operational, the factory is expected to significantly boost local poultry processing capacity, create jobs and support poultry farmers within the Bechem enclave and beyond.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

Newly appointed Electoral Commission (EC) Deputy Chairperson Joseph Kwaku Asamoah has pledged to work towards restoring public confidence in the Commission, describing it as an obligation he and his colleagues must fulfil.

Speaking after his appointment by President John Dramani Mahama, he said the Commission would work closely with its staff to review electoral processes and pursue continuous improvements.

He said the Commission was committed to delivering its mandate without fear or favour, stressing that every Ghanaian mattered.

According to Mr Asamoah, restoring public trust was particularly important because confidence in the Electoral Commission had fallen to its lowest level in more than two decades.

Citing Afrobarometer data, he said only 33 per cent of Ghanaians expressed some or a lot of trust in the Commission, compared with 75 per cent in 2005 and 63 per cent in 1999.

He described the figures as a call to action, insisting that rebuilding public confidence was not optional but an obligation imposed on the Commission.

Mr Asamoah identified misinformation, disinformation and fake news as major challenges facing electoral processes in modern times.

He warned that false information could undermine political interests and deepen divisions in the country, while calling for responsible use of new media to promote civic education and encourage public participation, particularly among young people.

He stressed that credible elections were not the responsibility of the Electoral Commission alone but a national duty requiring the involvement of political parties, Parliament, the security services, the judiciary, civil society organisations, the media and every citizen.

He therefore called on all stakeholders to work together with the Commission to strengthen Ghana’s electoral processes and restore public confidence.

By: Jacob Aggrey