The Northern Sector Action On Awareness —NORSAAC — a gender based non-governmental organization in the northern region has asked the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to keep its manifesto promise of appointing women to at least 30 percent of public office positions.
NORSAAC says the party has a constitutional obligation to fulfill its promise. It reminded the NPP to learn from the past and not repeat mistakes made by earlier administrations and urged the party not to deny women the opportunity to serve in government by using the excuse that the women are not forth-coming because there are competent and capable women to hold public offices.
Mrs. Kawusada Abubakari, the Gender and Government Manager at NORSAAC, made the observations at a press briefing on the on-going appointment to public offices at NORSAAC’s office at Shishegu in the Sagnarigu district in the northern region.
The Northern regional director of the Institute of Local Government Service, Mr. Richard Kambotaah who shared his perspective on women’s appointment to public offices stated that the issue of women not willing to boldly come out and seek official positions in government was initially the problem. However, times have changed as more women are willing and ready to the grab the chance at securing positions in governance.
He also called on the entire citizenry to render their support and encouragement to women in terms of capacity building and to enlighten them in the governance process. Women, Mr Richard noted, should build their own self-confidence, and come out and demonstrate that they, too, want leadership positions.
FBOs Congratulate Prez. Akuffo Addo
Farmer organizations based in the northern region have congratulated President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo and the entire government on his electoral victory that propelled him to the highest office of the land to manage the affairs of the country for the next four years.
On the appointment of the minister designate for Food and Agriculture in the person of Dr. Akoto Afriyie, the farmers believe it is a step in the right direction because they feel he is capable and above all, he is a farmer. As a ranking member of parliament on the agric and cocoa affairs committee, he performed to the admiration of all, especially on the cattle ranching law in Ghana, and the buffer stock company.
The farmers are therefore urging the parliamentary Vetting Committee to approve his appointment without any delay to enable him tackle challenges facing the agricultural sector. This was contained a statement signed by heads of farmers associations in the northern region and copied to Zaa news.
They further noted that the president’s campaign promises of “one dam one village”, “one district one factory” and “one constituency one million dollars”, are the best yet to happen in the lives of farmers in the region. They were therefore calling on government to expedite action on these policies for immediate implementation to ensure sustainable livelihoods among farmers in the country, especially in the rural areas.
The government’s recent policy announcement on the “planting for food and jobs” in the four crop areas, including soya bean, maize, rice and vegetables, the farmers expressed, will surely reduce poverty among farmers and equally create jobs for the teeming youth and serve as a measure against rural urban migration especially from the north to the south. The farmers also appealed to the president to include cotton production in his four mentioned crop areas to enhance food and income security in the northern regions.
