Ghana is certainly not a country that should be importing onions and peppers, not to mention the juicy end-of-service benefits to previous Presidents( two buildings, house helps, vehicles). Additionally, we import tomatoes and onions from Southeastern economies more than any other nation in the world. The largest landlocked nation in West Africa, according to Wikipedia, is Niger. Niger is one of the world's poorest nations, according to the 2023 Multidimensional Poverty Index( MPI) report.
Over 100 trucks carrying onions that were headed for Ghana were reported to have become stranded behind the Benin-Niger border over the past week or so as a result of the frontier closing to impose ECOWAS sanctions in the aftermath of the military takeover in Niger. Of course, peppers and onions are grown in Ghana, primarily in the country's northern regions, but they are a rain-fed grain that is in season from December to March.
Farmers watch helplessly as business kings and queens from Accra and Kumasi arrive every year, offering prices that defame their strength and intelligence. However, "how for do," as we would say in Ghana? They accept the low prices and watch as their labor and power are reduced to need and pitifulness in order to maintain body and soul. The value chain is not set up to take in excess supply at the level of government legislation. We only ever use onions to consume them. Serious shortage reaches crisis levels from April through December.
We travel to a place where hardly anything grows in order to obtain garlic. Human species that rely solely on nature to provide for themselves from farms and poster are doomed to reduce their populations to beggars, according to countries that put their money where the tongue is— where the vehicle does not take the horses, where professors and ministers commute to work by train and vehicle.
Through analysis, the governments of those nations, which place a strong emphasis on science and technology, have discovered that growing onions, tomatoes, and other crops all year long is not even rocket science. Greenhouse Technology is a technology that enables the best cultivation problems for plants to be replicated. Most regions of the world can produce two crop yields annually with great temperature control and plenty of lighting.
In those nations, serving in the legislature is not a fashion show. They make the technology accessible to Ghanaian experts. Why then do we continue to practice rain-fed agriculture, which merely yields crops once a year? The answer to this question does surprise us: the government does not have enough money to fund research in a nation where Council of State members receive GH365.392.67 ex gratia after four years while nurses receive 25, 000 after 30 years of cleaning up patients covered in excreta. Over time, Ghanaian administrations have just enough money to cover scientist salaries.
Contributors from the USA, the UK, Japan, and the Netherlands, to name a few, provide funding for research. However, an African MP has the option to leave Parliament for more than one year before returning to start collecting GH28,017 every month. ( O, I know: you'd be upset that Ghanaians are wasting time debating GH365,000 ex gratia if you had so much that you could keep US$ 1 million at home!
Have you heard of Ave Kludze and Dr. Trebi Ollenu? They are Ghanaians who have earned recognition in the United States for helping NASA develop rocket science. They would be just as "useless" and defenseless in Ghana as the KNUST and CSIR researchers. Ghanaians honor Guinness Ghana Brewery Limited now for producing the black, bitter beverage with locally grown maize. Thousands of dollars are saved by that import substitution. The Savannah Agriculture Research Institute of CSIR's investigation into regional types has made it possible.
Exactly what am I saying? Ghana will soon scream in hunger if we figure out how to put our horses before the vehicle and spend money on scientists rather than MPs. Dubai made the decision to grow economically. Dubai has the world's largest flower garden, despite being plain, and it draws significant tourists. Researchers were paid well to complete this.
Our Members in Ghana are well-dressed. Even better pay is not being sought after by our researchers. They only require a study fund. He will explain how the Planting for Food and Jobs plan was successful because of the partnership between research and policy.
If it were up to me, I'd destroy the new BoG head office project - Dormaahene
The new US$ 250 million Bank of Ghana head office building project, which is being built at Ridge in Accra, the Dormaa Traditional Area's Omanhene, according to Osagyefo Obseadeeyo AgYemang Badu II, would be destroyed if I had my way. On Thursday, August 17, 2023, he spoke at the Bono Regional House of Chiefs' first general assembly in Sunyani, calling for a ban on the Bank of Ghana's use of US$ 250 million for the construction of its headquarters.
The Dormaahene, who also serves as President of the Bono Regional House of Chiefs, pleaded with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to stop the Bank of Ghana from spending 250 million on the construction of its new head office building, according to Biiya Mukusah Ali of Graphic Online. "We are urgently requesting that the government of the Republic of Ghana look into the situation and prevent them from continuing the project's construction." Discuss with them to end the project's development because BoG is not entirely separate, he said.
How can the nation spend 3 billion on the International Monetary Fund( IMF) and 250 million on just one project when "The Bono Regional House] of Chiefs" and its citizens are not pleased with the development? In remembrance of Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II and Berekumhene, Daasebre Amankona Diawuo II, the House observed a minute of silence.
Additionally, two new members— Osagyefo Ampem Anye Amoampong Tabrako III and Kwatwomahene, Osabarima Asiedu Kotwi II— were sworn in as members of the Wenchi Traditional Area. The funds used by the Bank of Ghana for the head office job could have been divided among the 16 regions to start development projects to better the regions, according to Osagyefo Agymang Badu II.
In order to express his displeasure with the project, he expressed his wish that Osagyefo Agyeng Badu had something to dismantle the structure. The BoG's reduction of GHC60 billion in 2022 was also a source of concern for Osagyefo AGYEMANG Badu, who was unable to comprehend the circumstances surrounding the loss. The same BoG "came out with another shocking news of using 250 million to construct its office," he said, just as we were beginning to recover from the shock.
The house's commitment to establishing the Bono Development Fund to launch initiatives to foster growth and lower youngsters' unemployment was reiterated by Osagyefo Agymang Badu. By the end of September 2023, he claimed, the house would have unveiled the fund, which would be used to give the region's thronging unemployed youth— especially recent graduates— job opportunities.
The Sunyani Airport, which had been closed for a while, was revived by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was praised by Osagyemo Aglyemang Badu. Additionally, he expressed gratitude to the leader for approving the Sunyani Regional Hospital's conversion to a training facility. He did, however, express concern about the region's poor road infrastructure, pointing out some of the roads in the area that are in poor condition, including the Sunyani town roads, SunYani-Chiraa road, Berekum-Sampa Road, Nsawkaw- Samp Road and Baakonieba- Berlin Top road and Odomase roads.
The Sunyani-Chiraa highway had been taken over by a number of government budgets, from the late former President Flt. L. Jerry John Rawlings to President Nana Akufo-Addo, but none of them had actually built it, according to Osagyeifo Aglyemang Badu. He urged Bono Regional Minister Justina Owusu-Banahene to advocate for the project's execution and stated that the road was essential to the chiefs and residents of the area as well as Cote d'Ivoire, a neighboring country of Ghana.
After the house had successfully resolved the conflicts in their respective regions, Osagyefo Agomang Badu predicted that about six fundamental chiefs would soon join it. He explained that Wench Traditional Area and Kwatwomahene were crucial in the founding of the former Brong Ahafo Region and that without them, the apartment would not be finished.
MSC. Owusu-Banahene, for her part, vowed to work tirelessly to restore the roads and pleaded with the chiefs to back her up. To speed up growth, she urged the chiefs to collaborate closely with local government representatives. Additionally, Ms. Owusu-Banahene urged the chiefs to refrain from interfering with the Municipal and District Assemblies'(MADs) planning plans.
She claimed that despite the local chieftainship disputes, the area was largely peaceful and claimable. The two new members of the house were instructed to become familiar with the Chieftaincy Act and local culture by Sunyani High Court Judge Justice Harry Acheampong-Opoku. In order to avoid embarrassment, he urged them to always abide by the law, explaining that it could be embarrassing to appear before a key in court for an instance of contempt.
