News
Let’s revisit Nkrumah’s agric vision of self-reliance – Agric expert
Ghana should honour founding President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, by revitalising the country’s agricultural sector rather than building monuments, the Chief Executive Officer of Legacy Farms, Mr Amos Rutherford Azinu, has said.
According to Mr Azinu, the most fitting tribute to Nkrumah would be fulfilling his vision of agricultural self-reliance by maximising the potential of infrastructure projects like the Volta River system.
“The most meaningful way to honour Kwame Nkrumah is not with another statue or renamed street, but with a national commitment to fulfil his agricultural vision,” Mr Azinu said in a statement marking Nkrumah’s birthday celebration.
The Legacy Farms CEO pointed out that when Nkrumah conceived the Volta River Project in the 1960s, he was laying infrastructure for Ghana’s agricultural transformation, not just generating electricity.
“The creation of Lake Volta was a masterstroke of long-term thinking that provided the foundation for irrigation, fishing, and rural development that could have fed and enriched the nation for generations,” he noted.
Despite this infrastructure, Ghana currently imports billions of dollars’ worth of food annually that could be produced domestically.
The country imports rice while irrigation systems remain underutilised, imports tomatoes while farmers struggle with post-harvest losses, and imports fish while Lake Volta holds untapped aquaculture potential.
Mr Azinu outlined a four-point strategy for agricultural renaissance: maximising the Volta River’s irrigation potential to transform northern regions into the nation’s food basket; investing in rural infrastructure including roads, storage facilities, and processing centres; supporting smallholder farmers with access to credit, technology, and markets; and embracing modern farming technology including precision agriculture and digital platforms.
The agricultural executive noted that Ghana spends over $2 billion annually on food imports, arguing that redirecting even a portion of this spending toward domestic agricultural development would create jobs and reduce foreign exchange pressure.
“As climate change threatens food security across Africa, and as global supply chains prove increasingly fragile, Nkrumah’s vision of agricultural self-reliance appears more prescient than ever,” Mr Azinu said.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammy Awuku, has expressed deep sorrow following the sudden passing of Isaac Batsa, the constituency secretary for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lawmaker issued a statement on Tuesday reacting to the news, which has shocked the local political community.
Mr.Awuku praised the late NDC secretary for his bipartisan approach to local governance.
He noted that despite their different political affiliations, Batsa consistently rose above party lines to serve the constituency with diligence.
The MP revealed that the news was particularly shocking given that he had last interacted with Batsa just three days prior on Saturday.
Concluding his statement, Sammy Awuku extended his heartfelt condolences to Batsa’s family, the constituency and regional executives, and the entire NDC fraternity, wishing the deceased peaceful eternal rest.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has petitioned the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps to intervene in what it describes as the unlawful arrest and detention of the Bono Regional Chairman of the party, Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC.
Speaking during the presentation of the petition, NPP Member of Parliament, Jerry Ahmed Shaib accused the government led by John Dramani Mahama of promoting what he described as a “culture of silence.”
According to him, the continued detention of Abronye DC over a bailable offence was unacceptable and against the principles of justice.
He argued that keeping an accused person in custody until a matter is fully determined was not common practice in democratic states.
“It can only happen in a kangaroo or banana state,” he stated.
Mr. Shaib further alleged that state institutions were being influenced to intimidate political opponents.
He maintained that the criminal libel law had long been repealed in Ghana and questioned why individuals were allegedly being targeted over comments on national issues.
According to him, citizens should not be arrested simply for expressing views, including claims that power outages, popularly known as “dumsor,” had returned.
The lawmaker also accused the presiding judge in the matter of showing bias and claimed the court had failed to indicate when Abronye DC would reappear or be released.
He explained that the NPP deliberately chose a peaceful approach in presenting the petition to the diplomatic community instead of organising demonstrations.
Mr. Shaib noted that the delegation was acting on the instructions of the party leadership, including the Minority Leader, the General Secretary, the National Organiser, and former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia.
He called on the diplomatic community and ambassadors in the country to engage the Ghanaian authorities and ensure that justice and human rights were upheld.
By: Jacob Aggrey
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