News
Suhum Municipal Assembly distributes 50,000 free oil palm seedlings to 120 farmers
The Suhum Municipal Assembly has distributed a first batch of 50,000.00 free oil palm seedlings to 120 farmers within the municipality for cultivation.
The oil palm seedlings for the first phase exercise were nursed within six months at a cost of GH¢65, 000.00.
Each beneficiary received 416 seedlings to cover about seven acres of land.
In total, more than 8,000 farmers within the municipality were expected to benefit at the end of the phase two of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture five-year flagship programme dubbed ‘Planting for Export and Rural Development’ being implemented by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.
Distributing the seedlings to the farmers, the Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs Margaret Darko said the government recognised the important role of agriculture in the growth and development of the country.
She said the Planting for Export and Rural Development programme was initiated to commercialise farming in the rural communities and to support farmers within the municipality as part of the government’s commitment to alleviating poverty.
She said enhancing the capacity of farmers to cultivate more farm produce to feed their families, Ghana and for export to help build a stronger economy had been the desire of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The MCE indicated that the New Patriotic Party government recognised the contribution of agriculture towards growth and development of the nation and had since been implementing flagship programmes, including Planting for Food and Jobs, Rearing for Job and Export.
She advised residents of the municipality to eschew politics and support all government developmental programmes.
Mrs Darko commended the government for the initiatives which were farmer-friendly and had the potential of alleviating poverty in the country.
For his part, the Suhum Municipal Director of Agriculture, Mr Samuel K. Dzisah said the seedlings were procured from the Soil Research Institute at Kusi and nursed in two separate communities at Okurase and Zor for distribution to the beneficiary farmers and advised the youth to take advantage of the all-important opportunity to enrich themselves.
He said the Department of Agriculture remained resolute to provide any needed assistant to all farmers to reap the benefits of the project.
He indicated that farming was a lucrative business which the youth must endeavour to engage in, adding that it was not a means of punishment as portrayed by some Ghanaian youth.
FROM DAVID KODJO, SUHUM
The Second Deputy Minority Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has defended the conduct of the Minority in Parliament during Tuesday’s chaotic sitting, insisting their actions were to protect what they believe is a violation of parliamentary procedure.
Explaining the incident, he said the Minority was reacting to developments surrounding a letter which allegedly directed that a seat belonging to the MP for Kpandai be declared vacant despite an earlier ruling by the Speaker.
He argued that the Speaker’s ruling should stand unless overturned by a competent court, and described the sudden reversal as shocking and against parliamentary precedent.
Mr Ahmed said the Minority only attempted to make a statement to register their displeasure, but tensions rose when the Majority Leader insisted on responding instead of commenting, which he said was against the rules.
He also denied claims that Minority MPs crossed the aisle, stressing that they remained within their side and only sought the Speaker’s attention.
He further complained that during proceedings, the Mace—the symbol of authority in the House—was not present and Minority microphones were disconnected, making the process one-sided.
He said the caucus intends to continue pushing to ensure that the MP for Kpandai retains his seat, adding that their next steps will be strategic.
By: Jacob Aggrey
President John Mahama has stated that it is too early for anyone to call for the scrapping of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) despite recent controversies surrounding the institution.
He argued that the office remains an important part of Ghana’s fight against corruption.
He explained that government is strengthening anti-corruption bodies such as the Economic and Organised Crime Office and the OSP, noting that the OSP is the only agency with the power to independently prosecute cases without going through the Attorney General.
President Mahama said many people distrust the Attorney General’s office because it is headed by a government minister, and some fear it may be slow to prosecute its own.
He believes an independent body like the OSP offers stronger accountability, regardless of who is involved.
He admitted that citizens want to see more prosecutions and visible results, but urged the public to give the OSP time.
He encouraged the office to speed up its investigations to show that it remains relevant in the fight against corruption.
By: Jacob Aggrey
