Chiefs and Queenmothers 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 for his reappointment.
The chiefs, queenmothers and the farmer based organizations, were at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, to express their overwhelming joy about Dr. Afriyie Akoto’s reappointment.
Speaking at a mini durbar held at the forecourt of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Accra to honour Dr. Afriyie, the leader of the delegation of chiefs and queenmothers from the Tongu Traditional Area, Togbe Nakakpo Dugbaza VIII, Paramount Chief of Tefle Traditional Area, told Dr. Afriyie Akoto that “we are glad to have you as the substantive Minister of Food and Agriculture for another 4-year. We also thank H.E. the President and Parliament for appointment.”
Dr. Afriyie Akoto served as Food and Agriculture Minister in President Nana 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. Afriyie Akoto led to Ghana moving away an importer of certain food items to a net exporter.
Farmers in the Volta Region were some of the beneficiaries of the PFJ.
According to Togbe Nakakpo 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. Afriyie Akoto observed that he was overwhelmed by the honor done him by the chiefs, queenmothers and the farmers.
“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, according to him.
The farmers in the Volta region in terms of participation in the Planting For Food and jobs are some of the highest in the nation.
He assured that Government will support farmers in the region especially Keta with solar to ensure their electricity burden is reduced.
He said efforts will be made by government to ensure that agriculture prosper in the Volta Region.
By Melvin Tarlue