Editorial
Create special fund to attract youth into agric
The Paramount Chief and President of the Nsein Traditional Council in the Nzema East Municipality, Awulae Agyefi Kwame 11 has asked the government to create a special fund to attract the youth into agriculture.
He said the special fund should be used as seed money to motivate the youth to go into any branch of agriculture adding “the fund should attract very little interest or no interest but will be paid back for others to also benefit”.
Awulae Agyefi Kwame 11 who was the chairman at the Nzema East Municipal Assembly 37th National Farmers’ Day celebration at Nsein in the Western Region was speaking to The Spectator after the celebration.
He said gone were the days when young men and women went to the farm with hoes and cutlasses to clear the bush before planting.
He said technology had now made inventors to come out with simple agricultural implements which were simpler and faster and could be used to clear farms before planting or sowing.
He said the government must come out and walk the talk about agricultural programmes for the youth to be attracted into the sector because office work was no longer adequate to absorb the many graduates being churned out from the universities and other tertiary institutions all over the country and beyond.
He said the youth wanted to go into agriculture but the motivation was not enough to attract any young boy or girl to go into the sector and the sweet talks from successive governments were not enough to allow the youth go into the sector.
Awulae Agyefi Kwame congratulated past and present governments on maintaining the Farmers’ Day started by late President John Jerry Rawlings who saw it prudent to recognise the contributions of Ghanaian gallant farmers who fed the nation 37 years ago.
He said that though he was a traditional ruler, he believed farming was one of the major solutions to the economic woes of Ghana so he was very serious in farming and would encourage any young man to go into it.
The Paramount Chief said he was ever ready to arrange for land for any individual or group of young men or women who decided to go into agriculture adding “the Agricultural Extension Officers are always available to assist anybody in farming techniques, aquaculture, among others.
From Peter Gbambila, Nsein.
Dear Editor,
I AM writing to draw your attention to the inadequate street lights in some parts of Wawase, a situation that continues to pose serious concerns for residents.
Street lights play a crucial role in ensuring safety and security within a community. Unfortunately, several areas in Wawase are completely without functioning street lights.
This has made movement at night very difficult and dangerous, especially for workers, students, and traders who return home late.
The lack of proper lighting has also created an enabling environment for criminal activities such as theft and harassment. Residents often live in fear, and some are forced to limit their movements after dark. Additionally, poor visibility increases the risk of road accidents, putting both pedestrians and drivers at risk.
It is concerning that despite the growing population and development in Wawase, this basic infrastructure issue remains unresolved.
I would like to appeal to the relevant authorities, including the local assembly and electricity providers, to urgently address this problem by installing new street lights and repairing faulty ones.
Ensuring adequate street lights will not only improve security but also enhance the overall quality of life for residents in the area.
Gwen Mensah, Agona Swedru
Dear Editor,
FOR some time now, I have been deeply concerned about the state of the Kaneshie footbridge, which has over the years developed cracks, exposing some rusted metal parts and raising safety concerns.
It is, therefore, welcome news for daily users of the facility like myself that a team from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), led by the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), visited the facility and announced a temporary closure to allow for maintenance work to be carried out.
While I wish to commend the Assembly for the move, I believe it has been long overdue.
I often find it difficult to understand why, as a country, we sit, wait, and watch for preventable incidents or tragedies to happen before we react. I say this because the issue of the bad state of the Kaneshie footbridge has been one that has been re-echoed by many who use it on a daily basis.
I believe that as the Assembly looks to start the maintenance works on the footbridge, it is also important for it and other Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to pay attention to other footbridges across the country that are in a similar state.
The time has come for Ghana, as a country, to be more proactive than reactive.
I will also urge the assemblies to deploy their respective teams to always check on footbridges across the country to ensure that they are in good shape to avoid any tragedy that could lead to the loss of human lives.
From Fafa, Kaneshie
