News

Friday, March 11, 2016

Gov’t ‘s Youth in Agriculture Programme is yielding results-Ablakwa
Audrey Micah, Ghanadot

Accra. Sept 11, Ghanadot - The Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okugetu Ablakwa has stated the NDC government promise of fishing out all drug barons in the country is yielding meaningful results, adding that “today there is no perception in the past that some powerful people in government may be collaborating with drug barons and of cause that is enough motivation for the Narcotic Control Board (NACOB).”

He said during the Meet the Press series organised by the Ministry of Information in Accra today.

According to him, over the past few weeks, several arrests have been made which have been in the public domain, including the successful management of security information leading to the arrest of a ship and seizure of parcels of cocaine on board.

“A number of other people have been arrested either with parcels of cocaine concealed in tubers of yam or heroine swallowed and removed at their final destination and cocaine concealed in private parts.

“We can confidently report to Ghanaians that Acting Executive Secretary of NACOB and his team working in close collaboration with the National security apparatus has over the last 8 months monitored, traced and arrested a number of curriers and smart collaborators who are being further investigated in order to smoke out their pay masters and barons.”

Mr. Ablakwa maintained that the success chalked by the Mills government was a result of positive measures taken, he said structures have been strengthened to ensure that these evidence do not either vanish or metamophorsized into some other substance over night.

The Deputy Minister reiterated that President Mills’ better Ghana agenda is on cause, adding that the Mills’ administration is perusing slowly but steadily to fulfill all the campaign promises made to Ghanaians, despite the present economic difficulties.

“We promised a youth in agriculture programme and we have delivered, as I speak a group of young people have cultivated a total of 1,440 hectors of land in Damongo under the programme. Over 300 youth of the area organized into various groups are working.

“1,200 hectors of the land have been cultivated, 200 hectors worth rice the remaining planted with soya bean. This programme has created jobs for many youth in the country”.

He said apart from Damongo, the programme has also benefited the people of Komenda, which is in Gomoa West , Gomoa East and Agona east areas in the Central region, adding that so far, a total of 100 hectors have been ploughed in Komenda ready for planting.

“30 hector in Gomoa West, and 72 hectors in Gomoa East and 40 hectors in the Agona east area.”

According to him, when the programme is fully initiated in all the regions in Ghana, a total of 14,000 hectors of land is expected to use for the operation under the Youth in Agricultural Programme.”

In the fishing industry, the deputy minister said, government has approved the construction of two fishing habours and 12 landing sites at the total cost of $200 million.

“In addition to this intervention, in addressing the challenges of safety and post harvest losses, 2 cold stores will be built in selected fishing communities with $7 million loan facility from the Spanish government".

Ghanadot