Day: June 15, 2024

in alignment with the Government’s Green Ghana Project, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister and Member of Parliament for Damongo, has initiated ‘Green Damongo Project’ a privately-led tree planting drive in his constituency.

The initiative is intended to plant 32,000 tree seedlings in Damongo and its surrounding areas to beautify the constituency and contribute to the fight against climate change.

Mr Jinapor launched the ‘Green Damongo Project’ at a ceremony in Damongo on Friday, June 14, which saw the MP underscoring his unalloyed commitment to greening Ghana and building a resilient ecosystem.

The first phase of Green Damongo project will involve planting approximately 2,670 trees along major roads in the town and selected sites including the old and new markets, the Agric College junction to Kasha restaurant, from Sawla highway to the RCC, as well as the road from the Military Junction to the hospital.

The second phase will extend over 66 kilometres on each side of the road
between Jojo Pe and Damongo, while the third phase will encompass each side of the road between Damongo and Sieyiri, totaling 83 kilometres.

Tree species selected for the Green Damongo Project include the Savannah Mahogany and Cassia.

Mr Jinapor, in an address, charged the constituents to be custodians of environmental sustainability by embracing the project and assume the responsibility of protecting the environment from harmful practices.

He highlighted the objectives of the Green Damongo project including raising awareness on the need for collective action to restore the degraded landscape in Damongo and instil the values of tree planting and nurturing them to maturity.

‘I stand before you today, in all humility and modesty, to say that, the Green Ghana Day initiative has been wholeheartedly embraced by the entire citizenry and residents of Ghana. As Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, under whose stewardship this project was birthed, I have decided to bring the project home,’ he said.

‘For it i
s said, ‘the power of a great idea is amplified when it is shared with the place that holds your heart.

‘This morning, I am honoured to share with you a vision that is close to my heart and crucial for the future of our community, ‘the Green Damongo Project.’ Ours is a Constituency that is blessed with vibrant people, rich culture, and a promising future.

‘However, to ensure that our future remains bright, we must take concrete steps today to safeguard our environment. One such step is the planting of trees on the medians of our roads.

‘Therefore, it is with great pleasure and deep sense of optimism that I unite with you once again, to launch this significant initiative, in our beloved Constituency. Today, we come together not just as natives and residents of Damongo, but as custodians of our environment, united by a shared responsibility to nurture and protect the natural environment that sustains us,’ Mr Jinapor stated.

The colourful ceremony was attended by several dignitaries including traditional lea
ders, the Municipal Chief Executive for Damongo, Mr Musah Karim Kusobari, and Deputy CEO of Forestry Commission, Mr. Nyadia Sulemana Nelson.

There was a commemorative tree planting to symbolically outdoor the initiative.

Mr Karim Musah, the West Gonja Municipal Chief Executive, paid special tribute to the Lands Minister for the initiative, describing it as a laudable gesture that would go a long to help curb deforestation and land degradation in the area.

He explained that the municipality would ensure the success of the project by forming committees to monitor and nurture the trees planted.

The Green Ghana Project was launched in 2021 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

It is under the auspices of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission.

The initiative has become a significant action for protecting and enhancing Ghana’s forest cover.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Central Region Trade, Tourism and Investment Fair 2024 has ceremoniously been inaugurated at the Regional Coordinating Council’s (CRCC) Banquet Hall in Cape Coast.

The overarching theme for this year’s weeklong event is ‘Fostering connections, cultivating business prospects in the Central Region.’

It is set to commence from Saturday, August 31, to Saturday, September 7 at Adisadel College School Park in Cape Coast.

Since its inception, Central Expo has played a pivotal role in revolutionising and unleashing the economic capabilities of the historic Region.

The primary objective of the Fair is to enhance international exposure, facilitate partnerships and support business development particularly Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Region.

It is also to exhibit trade, tourism, and investment prospects in the Region to the public, with a specific focus on the financial and corporate sectors involving all the 22 districts of the Region.

The event will provide participants with various exhibition
s, conferences, cultural displays, and networking opportunities, all geared towards driving economic growth and nurturing regional collaborations.

Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, expressed great enthusiasm at the launch and rallied the support of all stakeholders to make it a success.

She stated that it was the expectation of her outfit to stimulate economic activities throughout the region and beyond, harness economic potentials and grow agribusiness.

Therefore, she said CRCC was dedicated to advancing domestic tourism and most importantly, attracting private sector investments to the region to revolutionise the local economy.

Mrs Assan that the Expo is an indigenous initiative formulated by the CRCC in accordance with its Regional Development Strategy and Transformative Agenda, aimed at raising awareness for the Central Region in the realms of trade, tourism, and investment.

She extended an invitation to the public to massively partake in exploring the promising opportunities
of the historic Region.

Odeefo Amoakwa Buadu VIII, President of the Central Regional House of Chiefs, who presided over the launch said it had been the collective desire of all citizens in the Region to have many industries and businesses sprout across various sectors.

That he noted, will help stimulate economic growth, generate employment for the youth and cultivate an environment where businesses flourished, to instill confidence in individuals to establish their ventures.

He acknowledged the untapped economic potential within the region and pledged that the Regional House of Chiefs will continue to work to minimise chieftaincy disputes within the region to promote peace and attract investors.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Coalition of Muslim Organisation, Ghana (COMOG) has extended best wishes to the Muslim Ummah in Ghana and around the World as they celebrate the Eidul Adha.

It also used the occasion to call for a national dialogue on the organisation of Hajj in Ghana.

This was in a statement signed on behalf of Hajj Abdel-Manan Abdel-Rahman, President, COMOG by Bro Mohammed Shamsudeen Shuaib, Chairman, Media and Research Committee and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Friday.

It said: ‘It is our prayer that all Muslims across the world will observe this occasion in good health and in peace.

‘Of course, we remember our brothers and sisters in Palestine who have been under Israeli occupation, oppression, injustice and genocidal onslaught, and pray to Allah, the Almighty to hasten freedom and peace to them, Aameen.’

Touching on the Hajj, the statement said: ‘As we celebrate this important pillar of Islam, COMOG would like to awaken the conscience of the Nation and emphasize on the need for a National Dialogue on the o
rganisation of Hajj in Ghana.

‘The recent challenges faced by pilgrims, including high cost of fares and unconventional means of embarking on the pilgrimage, denial of some prospective Hajj pilgrims visa by the Hajj Board have highlighted once again the urgent need for stakeholders to come together to address the structural and operational failures in the spirit of transparency, accountability, and best practices in Hajj management in Ghana.’

The COMOG urged the government, Muslim organisations, and the Muslim Ummah at large to engage in a national dialogue to promote education, transparency, and improvement in the management of Hajj in a bid to salvage the image of Islam.

‘We must work together to correct the misconception that state resources are used to subsidize Hajj pilgrimages and ensure that the organisation of Hajj is fair, transparent, and inclusive.

‘We believe that this dialogue will not only benefit the Muslim community but also promote mutual understanding and respect among people of differen
t faiths in Ghana.

‘As a secular state, it is important that we clarify the role of the state in the organisation of Hajj and ensure that all citizens are treated fairly and equally,’ it said.

The statement wished all Muslims a peaceful and blessed Eidul Adha and a successful Hajj season.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Cashew farmers have been urged to produce quality nuts to fetch them good prices. Mr Dwobeng Nyantakyi, the Value Chain Officer at the Wenchi Zonal Office of the Tree Crop and Development Authority (TCDA), gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of a media engagement held at Abesim near Sunyani.

He urged the cashew farmers to adopt good farm practices such as pruning, weeding and turning and also dried the nuts well to get the required moisture content. Cashew Watch Ghana (CWG), a Sunyani-based civil society organization working to remove the bottlenecks and improve socio-economic livelihoods of cashew farmers, organized the engagement, also attended by cashew farmers.

It was in line with a Star Ghana Foundation-funded project, titled ‘amplifying the voices of Cashew farmers in Ghana’ being implemented in the Jaman North and Tain Districts as well as the Jaman South Municipality of the Bono Region. Mr. Nyantakyi indicated that the government through the TCDA was com
mitted to ensure that cashew farmers receive good prices for their products.

However, the farmers also ought to ensure they produced quality nuts. He said the Authority had registered 1,600 aggregators, traders and importers nationwide, explaining that the aggregators were those who bought the nuts from the farmers at the farm gates and subsequently sold them to the traders and to the exporters.

Mr Nyantakyi advised the farmers to ensure that they sold their products to the registered aggregators, saying it was a serious offence punishable by law under the TCDA Act 1010 and the LI 2471 for anybody to aid unregistered people to buy cashew in the country.

He reminded them that buying and selling of cashew nuts and fruits remained a preserve of Ghanaians and warned foreign nationals to stay away from the business or be prosecuted. Mr Raphael Ahenu, the National Coordinator, CWG, said the cashew sector had huge economic potential to widen the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

There is therefore the need for
the government to understand, appreciate the prospects and invest in the sector. Mr Ahenu said he was worried that national cocoa production, being the backbone of the economy, was fast declining due to uncontrolled illegal mining and other unscrupulous human activities.

The cashew industry could hold forth if the government shows commitment and prioritizes the sector, he stated.

Mr. Ahenu called for a fair pricing regime and price control for cashew farmers to derive optimum benefit from their farm work.

Source: Ghana News Agency