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Gov’t lauds GEL for contributing towards economic dev’t
Dr Acheampong(left)presenting bananas to Mr Rich at the programme
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, has commended Golden Exotic Limited (GEL), a banana grower and export company, for its contribution to the country’s socio-economic development.
He said the company contributed over 60million Euros annually in foreign exchange and injected over 20million Euros to the economy through salaries, purchases, electricity and rent.
At the 20th anniversary of the company last week, Dr Acheampong said GEL’s success underlined the strong public and private sector ties in agricultural development, leveraging government incentives and facilities.
The anniversary brought together Ministers of State, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional rulers, Municipal and District Executives, Civil Society Organisations and other dignitaries who later toured the plantation.
The Minister stated that the company’s aim to expand its market in West Africa and export 80 per cent of products to Europe had shown its desire to capitalise on the opportunities presented by the African Continental free Trade Area (ACFTA).
He, therefore, assured of government’s commitment to ensure that the road challenge hampering the company’s operations would be resolved to alleviate the financial burden on the company.
The Managing Director of GEL, Benedict Rich said as part of efforts to maximise crop yields, GEL had resorted to the use of drone technology in Asutsuare in the Eastern region.
In collaboration with the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), he said, the drones were being used to monitor the company’s banana plantation to identify areas of needs in order to optimise farming
From Anita Nyarko-Yirenkyi, Asutsuare
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Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
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NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
