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Gov’t lauds GEL for contributing towards economic dev’t
Dr Acheampong(left)presenting bananas to Mr Rich at the programme
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, has commended Golden Exotic Limited (GEL), a banana grower and export company, for its contribution to the country’s socio-economic development.
He said the company contributed over 60million Euros annually in foreign exchange and injected over 20million Euros to the economy through salaries, purchases, electricity and rent.
At the 20th anniversary of the company last week, Dr Acheampong said GEL’s success underlined the strong public and private sector ties in agricultural development, leveraging government incentives and facilities.
The anniversary brought together Ministers of State, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional rulers, Municipal and District Executives, Civil Society Organisations and other dignitaries who later toured the plantation.
The Minister stated that the company’s aim to expand its market in West Africa and export 80 per cent of products to Europe had shown its desire to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the African Continental free Trade Area (ACFTA).
He, therefore, assured of government’s commitment to ensure that the road challenge hampering the company’s operations would be resolved to alleviate the financial burden on the company.
The Managing Director of GEL, Benedict Rich said as part of efforts to maximise crop yields, GEL had resorted to the use of drone technology in Asutsuare in the Eastern region.
In collaboration with the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), he said, the drones were being used to monitor the company’s banana plantation to identify areas of needs in order to optimise farming
From Anita Nyarko-Yirenkyi, Asutsuare
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
