Editorial
Establish processing plants to boost effort of farmers
Dear Editor,
Over the past, farmers and the agricultural sector in general played significant roles and contributed immensely to the economic growth of the country. It is not surprising that successive governments have and continue to invest in the Agricultural sector.
The investments include the provision of farming equipment and training for farmers to build their capacity in agriculture.
Also, there had been various policies such as the Planting for Food and Jobs and the Feed Ghana initiatives by the erstwhile NPP and the current NDC governments to transform the agricultural sector.
Despite these interventions, I find it difficult to understand why the agricultural sector continues to struggle. Farmers in the country continue to cry over the lack of support from the government.
At a recent workshop, a team from Germany indicated their willingness to invest in a particular type of yam called ‘puna’ which contained a certain type of sweetness used for producing ice cream in Germany.
Also, a friend in a recent conversation told me how his father considered backing out of farming because he struggles to get a market for his produce.
I believe my friend’s father is not the only one facing such an issue. To address this, I think it would be appropriate for the country to establish processing companies to process some of these farm produce.
With their establishment, the government can buy farm produce from our farmers to process them into end products.
King Sam,
Tesano.
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
