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Okyehemaa appeals to gov’t to educate students about importance of agriculture to whip up interest in the area
The Okyehemaa, Nana Adutwumwaa Dokua has appealed to the government and stakeholders in the Agricultural sector to educate pupils and students in the basic, secondary and tertiary schools, especially girls and women, about the importance of agriculture to whip up their interest in the area.
According to her, most of the time, pupils and students were often punished with weeding or farming, adding that many of them formed negative perception about farming and hence were discouraged from going into agriculture.
She stated that rather, weeding and farming should be encouraged as a pleasurable exercise as part of agriculture and students should be encouraged and their interest whipped up in agriculture to enable them engage in it and contribute to the development of the sector for their own benefit.
The Okyehemaa was speaking at the official launch of the 5th Women in Food and Agricultural Leadership Training Forum and the Gold in the Soil Awards in Koforidua on the theme: “Overcoming Barriers of Women in Agribusiness: The Role of Stakeholders,” was organised by Agrihouse Foundation in collaboration with Eastern Regional Women in Agricultural Development (WIAD), Eastern Regional Agricultural Directorate and National Farmers’ and Fishermen Award Winners’ Association of Ghana (NFFAWAG), the Canadian Embassy and Yara Ghana.
The forum, initiated by Agrihouse, was purposed to empower and train women in innovative ways that would feed into Ghana’s agricultural objective of achieving food security in the near future, while providing sustainable employment, creating markets and building resilience.
The Gold in the soil awards would reward women who have made significant strides in farming, and winners would be given equipment and machines to enable them improve their work for the benefit of society and country.
The Okyehemaa expressed worry over the lack of adequate jobs for the many graduates who completed universities across the country, and reiterated the need to encourage them into agriculture.
She called on government and stakeholders in the Agricultural sector to resource extension officers to go into the many schools in the country and encourage pupils and students into farming.
“They should also make it attractive to them, especially with the girl child, and give incentives to women and girls who would want to venture into agriculture,” she said.
The Okyehemaa thanked Agrihouse for such an initiative to encourage more women into farming and assured that as queen mother she would also use her platform to encourage more women into farming.
For her part, the Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyea said the forum and awards, through its sponsors Yara Ghana and Global Affairs Canada, has over the years made significant impact on improving the lives of women farmers and people with disabilities in the agricultural value chain through networking, sharing and mentoring among women-led agribusinesses, buyers, corporate entities and financial institutions.
She revealed over two thousand women farmers have benefited from the training and 75 women in agriculture including 20 persons with disability who were thriving in the area have been awarded.
She added that the Gold in the Soil Award also continued to strengthen women agribusiness enterprises whilst it motivated a paradigm shift in projecting, celebrating and recognizing women achievers in the sector.
“This year’s programme is the 5th Edition and the turn of Eastern region and would take place between July 26 and July 27,” she revealed.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Koforidua
Entertainment
Breaking News: Daddy Lumba is dead – Family announces
Ghanaian music legend Charles Kojo Fosu, popularly known as Daddy Lumba, has died.
His family confirmed the sad news in a press release issued on Saturday, saying the 60-year-old passed away earlier in the day after a short illness.
“It is with profound sorrow and deep grief that the Fosu family announces the passing of Ghana’s beloved musical icon,” the statement read.
Daddy Lumba was one of Ghana’s most celebrated highlife musicians. With a career spanning more than three decades, his songs touched millions, telling stories of love, pain, joy, and hope.
He was known for his powerful voice, emotional lyrics, and unique style that made him a household name across the country and beyond.
“His soulful voice provided the soundtrack to our love stories, and his poignant lyrics captured the poetry of our struggles, dreams, and resilience,” the family said.
The family has asked for privacy as they mourn their loss and promised to announce funeral arrangements in the coming days.
The statement was signed by Fati Ali Yallah, a lawyer from Baba Jamal & Associates, on behalf of the Fosu family.
Fans, fellow musicians, and Ghanaians across the country have started pouring out tributes on social media, remembering Daddy Lumba’s unmatched contribution to Ghanaian music.
Entertainment
Edem’s debut album gets praise from Sarkodie
Ghanaian rap star Sarkodie has celebrated fellow artiste Edem for his groundbreaking debut album “The Volta Regime”, calling it one of the greatest albums in Ghana’s music history.
In a heartfelt social media post, Sarkodie, whose real name is Michael Owusu Addo, reflected on the first time he heard Edem rap.
He said he was instantly impressed and knew Edem would have a serious impact on the music scene.
“I remember when I first encountered my brother Edem, I came back home to tell one of my hommies that this guy will have a serious impact on the music scene,”
“He was like naa because of the language barrier. I said I don’t hear language, I hear greatness. Big up my brother, you are still on my favourite emcee list.” Sarkodie wrote.
Edem, born Denning Edem Hotor, released The Volta Regime in 2009. The album boldly embraced the Ewe language and featured collaborations with top Ghanaian artists including Tinny, Kwabena Kwabena, and Jeremie Van-Garshong.
Despite initial doubts about how well Ewe rap would perform commercially, the album proved to be a major success and introduced a new wave of local-language hip-hop.
Songs like Bra Fre Me, Nyorvuviade, and the powerful Intro helped establish Edem’s lyrical prowess and cemented his place as a unique voice in the Ghanaian music industry.
At a time when the local scene was dominated by Twi and Ga-speaking rappers, Edem’s success broke barriers and made it clear that talent speaks louder than language.
His impact opened doors for more linguistic diversity in hiplife and hip-hop music across the country.
Sarkodie’s tribute is especially meaningful because both artists emerged around the same period. Sarkodie’s own debut album Makye also dropped in 2009, and the two have long shown mutual respect for each other’s craft.
Today, over 15 years after its release, The Volta Regime continues to inspire fans and artists alike. It remains a symbol of bold originality and cultural pride.
Edem has since released several projects and remains an active voice in Ghanaian music and youth advocacy. His legacy is a reminder that true greatness is not limited by language.
