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Poor nutrition leading cause of disease, death
Poor nutrition has become a leading cause of disease and death globally, particularly in low-income countries, with Ghana facing growing challenges in food quality and access.
Professor Anna Lartey, former Director of Nutrition at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, made this known in a keynote address at the launch of the UG Nkabom Seminar Series, Honours Programme, and Mentorship/Internship Programme in Accra.
“In Ghana, we are not eating well, and our diet has now become a source of disease and death for us,” she said.
The event was held under the theme: ‘Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Agri-Food Revolution in Ghana and Beyond.’
The Nkabom Collaborative is a strategic initiative aimed at transforming Ghana’s agri-food system by empowering youth to take up opportunities in the food and nutrition value chain.
She said globally, about 3.1 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.
In Africa, the figure is nearly 1 billion, while in Ghana, about 65 per cent of the adult population cannot afford a nutritious diet.
Prof. Lartey said the FAO recommends consuming five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
“If every Ghanaian is going to eat five fruits and vegetables a day, our production will not match our consumption.
“We produce too few fruits and vegetables. But it’s not surprising that our food is highly carbohydrate,” she noted.
Prof. Lartey explained that food systems include production, processing, retail, consumption, and disposal, and emphasised the importance of a clean food environment to support a healthy lifestyle.
“So if you live in an area where the foods around you are highly processed foods and junk foods, it is most likely to influence the kinds of foods you will choose,” she said.
Furthermore, Prof. Lartey observed that Ghana’s food systems do not produce enough of the right foods.
“If you take your plate and put food on your plate, about half of it should be fruits and vegetables,” she advised.
She then called for coordinated national efforts to address food system challenges and promote food security.
Prof. Richmond Aryeetey, UG Nkabom Collaborative Lead, said the initiative was designed to equip youth to become the next generation of tech-enabled farmers, agrifood product developers, manufacturers, and agritechpreneurs.
“We work on three programme lines – education programmes in agrifood systems to develop human resources to drive change in Ghana’s food systems.
“These include a PhD programme in sustainable food systems as well as lifelong learning opportunities through tailored short courses that have been co-created with agrifood industry partners,” he noted.
Prof. Aryeetey added that the programme also seeks to expand access to nutrition and agrifood systems for young women, persons with disabilities, and internally displaced persons.
The third component is entrepreneurship, aimed at supporting youth farmers and food system innovators with mentorship, business incubation, market access, and seed funding.
Mr Piere Brunache, Secretariat Director of the Nkabom Collaborative, said the programme aims to create 55,000 jobs and establish 3,000 Small and Medium Enterprises in the next 10 years.
He urged the youth to seize the opportunity to build skills for employment and contribute to national development. —GNA
Chief Superintendent of Prisons (CSP), Catherine Mawunya Gagakuma, is a career prison officer whose dedication to discipline, service, and rehabilitation has defined her professional journey in the Ghana Prisons Service.
Since joining the service in 2012, CSP Gagakuma has steadily risen through the ranks, earning respect for her firm yet empathetic leadership style and her commitment to transforming correctional management in Ghana.
Her journey into the Ghana Prisons Service began with a desire to serve her country meaningfully. “I wanted to contribute to a system that not only enforces the law but also transforms lives,” she reflects. Over the years, this choice has shaped both her professional and personal growth, guiding her to a position that few women have attained.
CSP Gagakuma was drawn to corrections because it sits at the intersection of justice, humanity, and responsibility. “The Prisons Service is not only about custody; it is about correction, reform, and giving people the opportunity to return to society better than they left,” she explains. This vision has underpinned her career, from her early assignments to her current role as Officer in Charge of Awutu Camp Prison.
A defining moment in her professional growth came when she was posted to Awutu Camp Prison as the first female senior officer at the station and appointed local president of the Prison’s Ladies Association (PRILAS). “Being entrusted with this responsibility was both humbling and motivating,” she recalls. Leadership roles in inmate welfare and rehabilitation allowed her to develop a nuanced understanding of human behaviour, sharpen her decision-making skills, and strengthen her conviction that humane correction is the most effective form of correction.
As Officer in Charge of Awutu Camp Prison, Catherine shoulders immense responsibility, overseeing both staff and inmates while ensuring that the institution operates as a centre for rehabilitation rather than mere confinement. She emphasises that combining discipline with empathy is critical to maintaining order, fostering trust, and promoting rehabilitation among inmates.
Under CSP Gagakuma’s leadership, Awutu Camp Prison stands out for its focus on agricultural programmes, skill development, and rehabilitation. Inmates are given opportunities to learn responsibility, teamwork, and self-worth, creating an environment that prepares them for reintegration into society. “Many inmates respond positively when given responsibility and a genuine second chance,” she observes, emphasising that imprisonment need not hinder personal growth.
Being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated environment has presented its own challenges, but CSP Gagakuma views these as opportunities to strengthen resilience, confidence, and clarity of purpose. She credits her experiences with helping her cultivate emotional intelligence alongside firmness, a balance essential for managing both staff and inmates.
Her leadership style is described as “firm, fair, and affable.” She believes in leading by example, holding both herself and her team accountable while remaining approachable. “I listen carefully, but I also make decisive choices when required,” she notes. Supporting and motivating her officers is central to her philosophy. She fosters a culture of mentorship, open communication, recognition, and encouragement. “Motivated officers are the backbone of every institution,” she asserts. Recognising hard work and providing opportunities for professional development ensures that her team performs effectively while maintaining high ethical standards.
CSP Gagakuma’s work has also shaped her understanding of justice and rehabilitation. She believes that true justice must extend beyond punishment, preparing individuals to return to society better than when they entered the system. This philosophy is central to her approach at Awutu Camp, where the emphasis is on skill acquisition, behavioural change, and humane treatment.
Outside the prison walls, CSP Gagakuma stays grounded through faith, personal reflection, and strong connections with family, friends, and colleagues. These practices sustain her in a demanding career and inform her leadership with balance and perspective.
Looking ahead, she hopes her legacy will be one of discipline, empowerment, and humane correction. “I want to be remembered as a leader who strengthened discipline, promoted rehabilitation, empowered officers, and positively impacted the lives of inmates,” she says. Through her vision, Awutu Camp Prison is not just a facility for custody, but a beacon of ethical leadership, professional development, and transformative correction in Ghana.
By Jemima Esinam Kuatsinu
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Archbishop Dr Charles Agyinasare, Founder of the Perez Chapel International, has urged Ghanaians to be wary of prophets that prophesy to create confusion, fear, and destroy families and nations.
According to the renowned Bishop, prophetic pathways must align with destinies and not destroy homes and marriages as well as nations. To this end, he urged the Christian faithful to subject prophecies to biblical test, saying, “Prophecies must be tested and understood.”
Bishop Dr Agyinasare said this in his sermon on Sunday on the theme: ‘Prophets and Prophecy, Are They Important.’
It came in the wake of the numerous prophecies that have engulfed the media space with pastors predicting diverse outcomes on the same event. That has raised integrity concerns about some of these prophets and their prophecies.
It became a matter of concern for government after the unfortunate air disaster that claimed the lives of government officials and members of the security services. That led to the establishment of an agency chaired by Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah to receive prophecies of national interest.
It took a different dimension with the New Patriotic Party Presidential Primaries, held last week, with several pastors claiming to have received prophecies but divided on which candidate emerges the winner.
But according to Bishop Agyinasare, although prophecies were important, they ought to be grounded in scripture, governed by accountability, motivated by love, and centred on Christ.
He said the importance of prophets and prophecy have been questioned in recent times not because it disappeared but because it has appeared with intensity; sometimes with beauty and sometimes with abuse. “We live in times when prophetic activities have become widespread, yet discernment is scarce. As a result, some have been blessed and others have been bruised. The answers in scripture is clear and unambiguous but the prophecies must be understood, tested, and rightly handled.”
According to him, prophecies were divine plans of God and not from imagination or cultural trends or ecclesiastical experimentation, saying that “it is not a modern innovation or charismatic novelty.”
“Prophecies are God’s ideas according to scripture, initiated and sustained by him for guidance for the edification of the church,” he emphasised.
He explained that God uses the prophetic word to affirm what he has already said through scripture. “True prophecy applies scripture; it does not replace it. It never competes with scripture. It complements it. We are to test all prophecies,” he indicated.
Furthermore, he noted that prophecy is to glorify Jesus, but when men of God appear to take the glory and are carried by their members for their prophecies, then it is no longer about Jesus, and that is when all goes wrong.
Sadly, he mentioned that some of the prophets have become full of themselves. He said false prophecies usually instill fear among people, create situations of hopelessness, and urged people to beware of such prophecies.
Referencing a scripture in Matthew 7:15-20, Bishop Agyinasare reminded Christians to beware of false prophets, explaining that such people could be recognised by the fruits they bear, believing that some of the prophecies appear to humiliate leaders and cause fear.
By Andrew Nortey
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