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ER CNC organise cooking competition for market women in Koforidua
The familiar sounds of bargaining, haggling and the movement of shoppers at the Koforidua Market gave way to the rhythmic clatter of cooking utensils, sizzling pots and cheerful conversations as market women transformed the busy marketplace into a colourful kitchen.
The aroma of freshly prepared Ghanaian dishes filled the air as the market women battled for culinary honours at the Onga Maame Mukaase Cooking Competition 2026, held in Koforidua by the Eastern Region Centre for National Culture (CNC), with support from Promasidor.
Held on the theme, “Enhancing our heritage through ghanaian traditional cuisines,” the competition sought to promote Ghana’s cultural heritage through traditional food as part of the Black Star Experience.
The market women were divided into groups, with each showcasing its culinary skills using traditional ingredients.
The Ngokuo (Oil) Group prepared Etɔ, Meat Group prepared Mpɔtɔmpɔtɔ while the Materials and Fabrics Group prepared yam, plantain and kontomire stew.
The Mainline Group served fufuo with abunabunu, while the Plantain and Cassava Group prepared konkonte with groundnut soup.
The Corn Group prepared akple and fetritɔtɔ, the Food Vendors Group prepared Tuo Zaafi, and the Spices Group prepared waakye.
After the food was inspected and the competition judged, the Corn Group emerged winners, with the Oil Group placing second and the Spices Group taking third place.
Winners and participants received various prizes.
Speaking after the competition, the Director of the Eastern Region Centre for National Culture, Dr Dorcas Salamatu Alhassan, said preserving Ghanaian culture went beyond drumming and dancing.
She said traditional cuisine was an important part of the country’s heritage and needed to be preserved and passed on to younger generations.
“Promoting our culture is not limited to drumming and dancing. It includes our local foods and how they are prepared,” she said.
Dr Alhassan said the programme also created an opportunity for young people and other market women to observe, ask questions and learn how traditional meals were prepared.
She urged parents and market women to teach children to appreciate and prepare local foods, warning that changing dietary habits were contributing to increasing cases of lifestyle-related diseases.
Vivian Osei Agyeman, representative of the Market Queen, Nana Ama Bonsu, said busy lifestyles had made it difficult for parents to teach children traditional cooking.
She urged parents to reduce their children’s dependence on junk food and encourage them to eat healthier local dishes.
The winners from the Corn Group, Mrs Faustina Boame and Patient Adobea, said they were excited to participate and had given the competition their best.
They urged government and relevant institutions to introduce more programmes to promote Ghanaian dishes and encourage the youth to learn how to prepare them.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has opened applications for members interested in contesting as its parliamentary candidates in the 2028 general elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday, October 29, 2026, the party said interested members must declare their intention to contest between Sunday, November 1, and Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
According to the statement signed by the party’s Communications Director, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, prospective candidates must complete an online form within the specified period.
The party said a non-refundable application fee of GH¢5,000 would be charged to each prospective candidate.
It added that all applicants would undergo vetting and screening to determine their eligibility to contest on the party’s ticket.
The NPP announced plans to organise capacity-building workshops for prospective candidates in December 2026. The workshops will be held across the Northern, Middle and Southern zones, with details of the venues to be announced later.
The party stressed that the guidelines would apply to all prospective candidates, including sitting NPP Members of Parliament who wish to contest again.
It further warned aspirants against starting campaign activities following the opening of the application process.
According to the statement, the existing directive prohibiting campaign activities remains in force until the party gives official clearance.
It cautioned that anyone who violates the directive would face appropriate sanctions under the party’s constitution and regulations.
The NPP said the process was designed to promote fairness, transparency and equal opportunities for all aspirants as it prepares to select candidates for all 276 constituencies ahead of the 2028 elections.
It urged prospective candidates to follow the guidelines and conduct themselves with discipline and respect for one another throughout the process.
The party said its broader objective was to strengthen unity within its ranks and rebuild public confidence ahead of the 2028 general elections.
By: Jacob Aggrey
News
eputy Foreign Minister accompanies Veep to Shanghai to champion Global South reform, industrial drive
Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Gyakye Quayson, accompanied Vice-President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang on a successful working visit to Shanghai, China, from 15th to 19th October 2026, at the invitation of the East China Normal University (ECNU).
The highlight of the visit was the 2026 Global South Academic Forum held on 17th October, which brought together over 200 scholars, policymakers, political party leaders and media professionals from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, under the theme “Global South Political Parties: Governance and Modernisation.”
In her keynote address, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang asserted that political independence is only truly the beginning, stating that “winning political power and governing effectively are related but not the same responsibility.” She called for stronger South-South cooperation, multilateralism and reform of the global financial architecture to end debt traps, ensure fair risk assessments and promote climate policies that respect different national circumstances.
On 18th October, she addressed a business forum with Chinese investors, linking Ghana’s 24-Hour Economy policy to industrialization. Warning that training youth without factories creates unemployment, she appealed for factories to be established in Ghana to serve the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market, with priority on value addition in cocoa processing, shea butter, cashew, coconut and timber.
On October 19, Ghana’s Ambassador to China, Kojo Bonsu, hosted a dinner at the Shangri-La for the Vice-President, attended by members of the Ghanaian community and business leaders, who praised the thorough preparation by the Ghana Embassy staff for the visit.
Throughout the trip, Mr. Quayson coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to align the engagements with Ghana’s jobs and transformation agenda.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
