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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
Ghana’s First Lady, Lordina Mahama, has made a generous donation to the country’s national female Under-17 and Under-20 teams – Black Maidens and Black Princesses- as they continue preparations for major international assignments.
The donation, made on Friday, May 22, was presented on behalf of the First Lady by the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Agnes Naa Momo Lartey, at the GFA Technical Centre in Prampram.
The gesture forms part of efforts to motivate and support Ghana’s young female footballers as they prepare to represent the country on the international stage.
The donation included essential food items and toiletries aimed at supporting the welfare and well-being of the players and technical teams.
The donation included cartons of Milo, T-rolls, soft drinks, toiletries, and a range of essential supplies aimed at supporting the welfare of the players, enhancing camp conditions, and easing preparations ahead of their respective assignments.
The Black Maidens are currently engaged in preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers and are set to take on Liberia women’s national under-17 football team in the second-leg encounter in Liberia this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Black Princesses have already secured qualification to the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after overcoming Uganda in the qualifiers, extending Ghana’s remarkable record to eight consecutive appearances at the tournament.
The donation by the First Lady was expected to boost morale within both camps while reinforcing national support for the young female footballers who continue to make the country proud.
The prosecution has officially rested its case in The Republic v Solomon Asamoah & Another, the high-profile legal battle commonly referred to as the “Sky Train” case.
The Deputy Attorney General Justice Srem Sai announced the development, praising the state’s team of hard-working prosecutors for successfully anchoring the state’s evidence before the High Court.
The criminal trial centers on the former Chief Executive Officer and the former Board Chairman of the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF).
The duo stands accused of illegally authorizing and paying out US$2 million to a foreign company without obtaining board directives or other mandatory statutory approvals.
State investigators have confirmed that the disbursed millions cannot be found.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, the accused persons moved the court for an opportunity to file a submission of no case.
The presiding judge granted the application, ordering the defense to submit their arguments by June 8.
The outcome of the June 8 filings will decide the fate of the trial:
With this, if the judge finds the defense’s submission convincing, the accused will be acquitted and discharged however, If the judge dismisses the submission, the court will order the accused officials to take the stand and explain why they should not face prison sentences.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
