Category: General

Mrs Dorothy Opoku, General Manager of Agricultural Manufacturing Group Limited (AMG Fertilizers), a local manufacturer and distributor of fertilizers, has pledged commitment to support women and promote agribusiness enterprises.

She acknowledged the pivotal role of women in agriculture and stressed her Organisation’s dedication to driving agricultural innovation and excellence.

Mrs Opoku saod this at the 6th Gathering of the Royals organised by the Agrihouse Foundation on Thursday, February 29, 2024, under the theme ‘Seeds of Change: Cultivating Gender Equality in Agriculture and Honouring Women’s Advancement.’

The gathering hosted political leaders, civil society leaders, queen mothers, women farmers and agri-processors, among others.

She said AMG believed in harnessing the full potential of every individual, particularly women, and recognised their significant impact on the future of farming.

‘By empowering communities and championing gender equality initiatives, we aim to foster inclusive growth and
sustainable development in the agricultural landscape,’ she added.

Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, expressed appreciation to her sponsors and supporters for helping to put up the gathering.

‘I am honoured to extend my sincerest appreciation to our esteemed sponsors for their invaluable support and unwavering commitment to our cause.’

‘Through their generous contributions, we have witnessed remarkable strides in empowering women in agribusiness and fostering gender equality within the agricultural sector,’ she said.

The Queen Mothers at the gathering said they faced limited access to land, lack of financial support, difficulties in accessing market linkages, absence of modern mechanised equipment for farming, bad road networks, lack of extension services, and absence of pension schemes for farmers.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Every year, Ghana celebrates the month of March as Heritage Month.

The initiative is to promote Ghanaian culture, and commemorated in the same month the country gained its independence from the British in 1957.

This article looks at one historical antecedent -The battle of Nsamanko- during the independence struggle.

The ‘Battle of Nsamanko’ was between the Ashantis and the British with its allies mainly the Fantes in 1824.

The facts

According to Mr Kweku Darko Ankrah, a Historian and Genealogist at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, the Battle of Nsamankow was one of the battles the Ashantis fought against the Fantes.

The battle arose from the quest of the Ashantis to have direct trade with the Europeans, particularly the British at the coast.

The Fantes were seen as an impediment in the trade and so the Ashantis wanted to eliminate them.

‘The war actually was between the Ashantis and the Fantes. When the Ashantis were coming to fight in the coast, their intention was not to fight
with the British. They were coming to fight the Fantes who were rebelling.

‘The Governor, Sir Charles McCarthy, decided to give support to the Fantes and led them because the Fantes lacked the ammunition,’ Mr Ankrah says.

The Ashantis, however, defeated the British soldiers and the allied forces.

Governor McCarthy was killed and beheaded by the Ashantis, who took the head back to their territory as a trophy of war.

Many Ghanaians erroneously believe that the battle was fought in a town called Nsamankow.

Mr Ankrah explains that there is no town with that name.

He says the name came about due to circumstances surrounding the war.

The Historian explains that when the Ashantis were shooting from a thick bush and the Southerners could not see who they were fighting with, they said ‘we are fighting with ghosts’.

The Southerners thus claimed they were fighting a ghost war, which translates in Akan as ‘Nsamanko’.

Impact on political landscape

Mr Ankrah notes that the Nsamanko war gave the Ashantis free acce
ss to the coast because they had defeated the Fantes.

Before the Battle, there used to be a barricade immediately after Assin and the Ashantis had to pay road tolls to the Fantes on the way and also pay tributes to the Fante chiefs in the local communities.

‘All these stopped. Everything went back to the Asantehene. He was getting access to the collection of all these tributes,’ he says.

Mr Ankrah adds that after the war, the Asantehene made some Fante chiefs very powerful, citing the Asikuma and Ajumako chiefs who were being paid tributes and as a result had become so powerful that their neighbouring Fante States were scared of them.

The Battle of Nsamanko also changed the nature of the trading system along the coast, as the Ashantis now had direct access to the British trade.

‘After the war, we saw the Southern States coming together with the support of the British to go and fight the Battle of Katamanso in 1826.

‘This created an alliance among other coastal communities against the Asante Kingdom,’ he
says.

Lessons from the Battle

Mr Ankrah notes that the Battle of Nsamanko shows the resilience of Ghanaians and their ability to come together irrespective of their past.

‘In some countries, some of these wars could not be celebrated because it opens the wounds of the past leading to ethnic differences and anger.

‘For us we are able to move beyond that and know that these are things of the past. We are now friends and we will continue to live together for a very long time,’ he says.

Mr Ankrah says the Battle also shows that the African is capable of standing against both internal and external forces for a common good.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Association of Nzema Students – Ghana (NANS-GH), has unequivocally condemned the recent statements made by Professor Audrey Gadzekpo, Board Chair, Center for Democratic Development (CDD), Ghana, for her assertion that ‘some Nzema culture supports homosexuality.’

According to the Association, such claims were not only misleading but also disrespectful to the deeply rooted cultural values of the Nzema people.

‘Nzema culture, marked by its rich traditions and historical significance, does not support the inaccuracies put forth by Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo’.

This was contained in a press release issued and signed by President of NANS-Ghana, Mr Obed Kofi Lannister and copied to Ghana News Agency at Aiyinasi.

Prof Gadzekpo on March 02,2024 launched a scathing attack on Joy News file that ‘some aspects of Nzema culture support homosexuality.’

The release said ‘our cultural practices are founded on respect, understanding, and a celebration of diversity, and any misrepresentation threatens to erode the
integrity of our identity.’

In the light of this, ‘NANS-GH demands an immediate and unqualified apology from Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo for her misguided comments. ‘We firmly believe that a public acknowledgment of the inaccuracies in her statement is essential to rectify the harm caused by the dissemination of such misinformation.’

The release called on the Nzema traditional rulers to lend their authoritative voices to this matter by publicly denouncing Prof. Gadzekpo’s statement.

It noted that the influence of traditional leaders was instrumental in preserving the sanctity of their cultural heritage, and their support was crucial in ensuring the accurate representation of Nzema values.

‘It is important to note that our condemnation is not an attempt to stifle discourse or limit academic freedom. However, we emphasize the need for responsible and accurate representation, especially when discussing the cultural practices of distinct communities.’

The statement reaffirmed the association’s commitment to foster
ing a climate of inclusivity and respect within their communities.

‘We encourage open dialogue that is grounded in truth and understanding, and we remain vigilant in protecting the reputation and authenticity of Nzema culture,’ the release said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Justin Bayor, Head of Programmes, Campaigns, and Innovation of ActionAid Ghana (AAG) says the objectives of the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) VII were to create equitable opportunities for all citizens.

The CSV VII opportunities would seek to increase global and national commitments to resilient interventions that support adaptation for women, young people, and marginalized individuals.

This was made known at the opening of a two-day regional dissemination event, in Sunyani, dubbed ‘Active Citizenship for Social Justice.’

The event brought together stakeholders from various sectors including the gender department, Social Welfare, Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit, assemblies, regional coordinating council, non-government organisations, youth groups, students, and media from the Bono Region.

He mentioned that the CSP VII would look to improve access to formal and informal social protection services, reduce threats of violent extremism, and decrease the incidence of violent conflicts.

Mr. Bayor
explained that CSP VII, a five-year plan spanning from 2023 to 2028, would?focus on three key priorities of social importance which include the green economy and resilient livelihood, women’s rights and decent work, active citizenship, accountability, and gender-responsive public service.

He added that the priorities identified in the projects would help address poverty, gender equality, and various forms of gender-based violence issues.

It intends also to advocate for increased attention to social issues in expansion and improved social protection programs like LEAP, National Health Insurance Scheme, GSFP, LIPWs, and the disability fund to?promote national policies such as Ghana Beyond Aid (GBA), the National Climate Change Policy, and the National Development Plan, he said.

Mr Bayor ? emphasized that the new CSP VII would?monitor and keep track of pro-poor spending under the International Monetary Fund programme, while AAG would also support community-based social protection schemes to help alleviate pov
erty in Ghana.

He mentioned that under the previous CSP VI project of the ‘People’s Power for Social Justice initiative from 2018 to 2022, AAG and its partners played a significant role in facilitating the return of many young mothers to school through the implementation of the ‘School Re-entry Policy’.

School enrollment and retention rates increased ??due to the provision of school infrastructure and progress was also made in the criminalization of witchcraft through the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Act, 2022 Bill presented in Parliament.

Mr. Bayor reported significant progress in advocating for the ratification of ILO C190 and C189, which have garnered attention at both the Cabinet and Parliament, and has been an increase in household incomes and sales through the e-marketing initiatives.

Furthermore, there have been notable advancements in access to control over land and other natural resources in Nabdam, Sissila East, and Nanumba North focusing on enhancing skills in climate change mitigation and ada
ptation, he added.

Participants during the dissemination exercise were taken through a comprehensive understanding of the transition from CSP VI to the CSP VII strategic priorities, regional priorities, stakeholder mapping, partnership exploration, risk identification, mitigation planning and the review of the CSP VII performance measurement standards.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A centennial refuse dump site at Logri in the Mamprugu Moagduri District, North East Region, has been evacuated by Zoomlion Ghana Limited as part of the continuous exercise of the sanitation Company.

The exercise was contracted by the Ministry of Local Government and rural Development (MLGRD) to keep communities clean.

Other huge dump sites at Yagaba and Nasuan, in the same district, were also cleared.

Mr Nahimu Adam, the North East Regional Zoomlion Coordinator indicated that despite the difficulty in accessing the centennial site with the heavy vehicles and equipment for the exercise, with time and efforts of the community and some sanitation stakeholders, it was successfully cleared.

He said though residents could not provide the exact age of the old site, some of the members of the community said many who saw its beginning had died.

The Environmental Health and Sanitation Officer said plans were afoot to provide refuse containers for the sites, to help reduce dumping on the ground.

Mr Adam Abu, the
DCE for Mamprugu Moagduri District in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, in response to plans for the evacuated space, said the Assembly was engaging with the appropriate stakeholders to take decisions on development of the space.

‘This is about land issues, and we have to get a broader consultation to get consent of landowners before we finalize decisions on it,’ the DCE explained.

He said the Assembly was in the process of gazetting its new bye laws on sanitation which would help it fight the sanitation challenge in the district.

He urged the people in the district not to scatter or dump refuse indiscriminately to keep the environment clean.

‘We need to change our attitude and be law abiding,’ he added.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ecobank Ghana has organised a forum for women-owned businesses to mark the 2024 International Women’s Day.

The event, dubbed ‘Ecobank Ellevate Client Appreciation Day’ aimed to celebrate the remarkable achievements of women-owned and women-led businesses.

Addressing the media on behalf of the Managing Director of Ecobank Ghana, Mrs Abena Osei-Poku, Madam Charlotte Amanquah, Regional Head, Anglophone West Africa Commercial Banking, said the resilience, creativity and unwavering commitment of women had helped in transforming families, communities, and economies.

She said these women-owned and women-led businesses had paved the way for a more equitable future for all without regard to gender, the world over.

Touching on the theme: ‘Investing in women-focused businesses to accelerate progress’ Madam Amanquah noted the need to understand the true potential of women and the societal impact, hence, investing in women-focused businesses.

‘The benefits of investing in women cannot be overemphasised, as it often
has a multiplier effect, impacting positively on humanity. Women, generally, have a central role in social dynamics, with the ability to identify and implement effective solutions to societal challenges and serving as the key source of social cohesion’, she said.

She again said that aside from the fact that women who are in power have fewer conflicts, less violence and are more harmonious, a lot of attention and promotions should be given to women in businesses since they constitute 46.4 per cent of businesses in the country.

She, however, expressed concerns about gender discrimination, limited access to capital, lack of support networks and other social and self-limiting factors hindering the growth of women-owned and women-led businesses across sub-Saharan Africa.

‘Notwithstanding these daunting challenges, you, our guests, who are among our top women-focused business clients, have shattered glass ceilings, defied norms, and built thriving businesses’, she said.

Commenting on the theme for the 2024 Inte
rnational Women’s Day: ‘A Better Way to Accelerate Inclusion’, Madam Amanquah said Ecobank taking inclusivity seriously had internally equipped, supported and encouraged its female employees to rise along their career paths into senior management positions.

She said for their female customers, the bank acknowledged the effect of the disparities on accelerating the progress of women-focused businesses and, therefore has a solution called the Ellevate Programme packaged specifically to promote the interest of women-owned and women-led enterprises.

She mentioned that the Ellevate Programme has been created to help identify and eliminate the key challenges faced by women-focused businesses which often include inadequate collateral, high cost of borrowing, inadequate bookkeeping and or financial records.

‘We ensure effective financial inclusion by creating, tailoring and making accessible simple financial products and services to women entrepreneurs. These usually include credit, savings, investments and insura
nce,’ she explained.

She also said the bank provided networking and mentorship opportunities by creating platforms to connect women entrepreneurs and enable them to share experiences, which help them to build valuable connections and access to wider markets.

She, however, said that the Ecobank business forum was designed to interact, connect and have breakfast with its female customers to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Source: Ghana News Agency