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Food security top Agenda for NSA- Director General
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The Director-General of the National Service Authority (NSA), Gyamfi Felix, has assured Ghanaians of the Authority’s commitment to spearheading initiatives that will promote food security under his leadership, thereby addressing food inflation and unemployment challenges in Ghana.
He said this during a media interview today after the Minister of Youth Development and Empowerment, George Opare-Addo, upon assuming office, paid his first-ever working visit to the National Service Authority (NSA) headquarters in Accra to engage in discussions aimed at enhancing greater opportunities for the youth through national service.
Mr. Gyamfi emphasised that with the current challenges posed by rising food prices and Ghana’s reliance on imports, the NSA was strategically positioned to leverage its extensive agricultural resources.
The Authority’s large t racts of arable land, he explained, could be utilised to create sustainable solutions to the twin challenges of food insecurity and unemployment.
“We cannot overlook the opportunity we have as an institution with vast arable lands at our disposal. The NSA’s contribution to agriculture will not only reduce our dependency on food imports but also tackle unemployment, especially among the youth. This is a vision we are keen on pursuing to contribute meaningfully to Ghana’s economic recovery,” he said.
He said there was more to be done at the Authority and revealed plans to reassess and expand the Authority’s agricultural activities to achieve measurable outcomes.
“It is important to acknowledge the groundwork laid by those before us. Our approach will be to evaluate and continue successful initiatives while identifying areas where expansion or improvement is needed to ensure that the desired impact is realised by all stakeholders,” he stated.
Mr. Gyamfi specifically decried the issue of “ghost names” under the former administration, noting that it had undoubtedly caused significant damage to the Authority’s reputation.
He indicated his resolve to clamp down on such incidents under his watch, ensuring that the NSA continues to achieve significant progress in mobilising, deploying, and training the youth from tertiary institutions during their mandatory one-year national service.
For his part, Mr. Opare Addo stated that the visit formed broader efforts to collaborate with one of the key agencies like NSA to address challenges faced by the Ghanaian youth and identify potential avenues for empowerment.
He stressed the critical role of the National Service Authority in building the capacity of the youth and preparing them for the job market.
He assured that his ministry will closely collaborate with the Authority to create a supportive framework for service personnel to ensure meaningful contributions to national development.
“We must position the National Service Authority as a foundation for skills development and entrepreneurship to give young people a viable start after their service year. I will continue to champion the interests of Ghana’s youth to fulfil the promises of President John Mahama,” he stated.
He added that President Mahama’s government focus on youth policies and empowerment programmes will be met under his leadership because the youth are the country’s greatest asset, and efforts must be made to protect them, invest in them, and give them a helping hand if Ghana is to realise a better future.
His Royal Majesty King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse, has announced plans to confer new traditional titles on the 12 finalists of the Africa Monologue Challenge (AMC) Season Three before they leave Ghana.
The announcement was made when the finalists paid a courtesy call on the Ga Mantse at his residence as part of activities for the competition.
The visit gave the contestants an opportunity to experience and learn about the rich traditions, culture and heritage of the Ga people.
Addressing the contestants, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II welcomed them to Ghana and wished them success in the competition.
He encouraged them to give their best and remain proud of their journey, regardless of who eventually emerges as the winner.
The Ga Mantse noted that participating in the competition and travelling to Ghana to connect with the continent’s culture and heritage was already a significant achievement.
He further expressed admiration for the contestants’ commitment to Africa and their role in promoting the continent’s stories through storytelling.
King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II indicated that he would engage the organisers of the Africa Monologue Challenge to set aside a special day to honour the contestants and confer the new titles on them before their departure.
The 12 finalists are representing Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Botswana, the Republic of Congo, Benin, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon and the United States, which is representing the African Diaspora.
The finalists were selected from more than 2,000 entries for a month-long Pan-African House residency in Ghana.
Speaking during the visit, the President of the African Chamber of Content Producers and Chief Operating Officer of the Africa Monologue Challenge explained that the finalists were no longer viewed simply as individuals but as representatives of their respective countries.
He noted that at the Pan-African House, each contestant’s room symbolically represents a country.
Mawuko Kuadzi, Chief Executive Officer of MK Casting and the Africa Monologue Challenge, expressed optimism that the third edition would be more exciting than the previous two editions.
He noted that the competition had continued to grow since the first edition in Ghana and the second edition in Uganda.
Mr Kuadzi attributed the expected success of this year’s competition to the support of sponsors and partners.
He explained that the Africa Monologue Challenge was an important platform for projecting Africa in a positive light and telling the continent’s stories to the world.
“We believe this is a tool we are going to use to project Africa in a positive light,” he stated.
The Chairman of the AMC Season Three Planning Committee, Roger Quartey, also highlighted the importance of the competition in showcasing African talent to the world.
He noted that the challenge would provide a platform for the finalists to demonstrate their talents while promoting their respective countries and Africa as a whole.
The Africa Monologue Challenge Season Three brings together young storytellers from across Africa and the diaspora to promote the continent’s rich culture, history and stories.
The finalists are currently in Accra for the competition and other activities designed to expose them to Ghanaian and African culture and heritage.
By: Jacob Aggrey
The High Court has dismissed an application by the accused persons in the ongoing National Petroleum Authority (NPA) and Unified Petroleum Pricing Fund (UPPF) corruption case seeking to have the charges against them struck out.
The ruling means the substantive trial will continue.
The case involves former Chief Executive Officer of the NPA, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid; former UPPF Coordinator, Jacob Kwamina Amuah; NPA staff member, Wendy Newman; Bright Bediako-Mensah; Kwaku Aboagye Acquaah; and three companies, Propnest Limited, Kel Logistics Limited and Kings Energy Limited.
The accused persons had asked the Court to strike out the charges brought against them.
However, the High Court dismissed the application, describing it as without merit.
The Republic has filed 54 charges against the accused persons, including corruption and corruption-related offences, extortion, money laundering and conspiracy to commit a crime.
According to the Republic, approximately GH¢291.57 million and US$332,407 was allegedly unlawfully obtained through a scheme involving officials of the NPA between 2022 and December 2024.
The prosecution further alleges that portions of the funds were channelled through companies linked to some of the accused persons.
It maintains that some of the money was subsequently used in transactions involving land, buildings, trucks and fuel stations.
With the Court dismissing the application to strike out the charges, the accused persons will now proceed with the substantive trial.
By: Jacob Aggrey
