The delegation with Dr. Afriyie Akoto
Chiefs and queen mothers from the Tongu Traditional Area of the Volta Region have congratulated Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto on his reappointment and assumption of office as Minister for Food and Agriculture.
Farmer based organizations from the Volta Region have also congratulated him on his reappointment.
The chiefs, queen mothers and the farmer based organizations were at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture yesterday to express their support for Dr. Akoto.
Speaking at a mini durbar held at the forecourt of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Accra to honour Dr. Akoto, the leader of the delegation, Togbe Nakakpo Dugbaza VIII, Paramount Chief of Tefle Traditional Area, told the minister that “we are glad to have you as the substantive Minister of Food and Agriculture for another four years. We also thank the President and Parliament for the appointment.”
According to Togbe Dugbaza VIII, Voltarians “have always been happy with the way you and the government have used Planting for Food and Jobs to transform agriculture in Ghana.”
He, however, noted that “there is still more to be done. The Volta Region has massive land resources for food crop production especially rice, maize, cassava and vegetables.”
On his part, Dr. Akoto said he was grateful for the honor done him by the chiefs, queen mothers and the farmers, saying, “I must say that I have been overwhelmed this morning by what we are seeing on the premises of this ministry.”
He said “the message that you bring is a message of goodwill, and it will encourage us to do more for the country.”
He assured that the government would support farmers in the region, especially Keta, with solar to ensure their electricity burden is reduced, and added that efforts would be made by government to ensure that agriculture prospers in the region.
Dr. Akoto served as Food and Agriculture Minister in President Akufo-Addo’s first term of office.
He spearheaded the government’s ambitious agriculture project, the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ).
The successful implementation of the PFJ under the watch of Dr. Akoto led to Ghana moving from being an importer of some food items to a net exporter.
By Melvin Tarlue