Government asked to support the production of Moringa

The Moringa Association of Ghana has called on government to support farmers to produce Moringa plant for export.

He said that Moringa, which is nutritious and contains vitamin C, Calcium and protein, could also be used in the production of oil, pomade and paper.

Mr Stephen Mensah Adams, Executive Member of the Moringa Association of Ghana, made the call at a two-day workshop to educate producers of Moringa products on the Ghana Food and Drugs Board specification for the production of the products, in Bolgatanga.

He said that Moringa, which grows in the Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions (three northern regions), was of high demand in America and Canada.

Mr Adams said that the Association would organise trainer of trainees’ workshops for producers of Moringa throughout the country.

Mr Newton Amaglo, a horticulturist, who facilitated the workshop, said that the plant could be used to cure diseases like cancer and sickle cell.

He said that Moringa seeds were being used as supplement for aluminium sulphate for the treatment of water in Malawi.

Mr Charles Aboyella, the coordinator of Moringa Association of Ghana, called on government to support farmers to produce Moringa, especially in the three northern regions, to help reduce poverty among farmers.

Source: GNA
Bongo District Assembly in a tussle over expenditure

Some Executive Members of the Bongo District Assembly and the District Chief Executive, Mr Clement Akugre, are in disagreement over 154 ,000 Ghana cedis that is to be deducted from the District Assembly Common Fund(DACF) to finance a trip by four members of the Assembly to the US.

They told a press conference that due process was not followed and threatened that they would wage a legal battle against the District Assembly Common Fund Administrator if he went ahead to deduct the money.

A statement read by one of the Members, Mr Richard Adongo, said matters regarding expenditure were supposed to be tabled before the Executive Committee for and that what the DCE had done was in violation of the standing order of the Assembly.

The statement said the Executive Committee sited a letter from African Global Developmental Services dated 10th December 2009 and signed by one Nana Otchere, the Administrator of the Services in connection with the Bongo District Assembly’s participation in a Sister/City programme initiated by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.

The statement said though the Sister/City programme was a laudable initiative, the Management of the Assembly did not see it prudent to brief the Executive Committee or the General Assembly.

It said a reliable source had revealed that the DCE and Management had signed a resolution on behalf of the Assembly to effect deduction of the said amount from the DACF without the recourse to the assembly’s procedures.

The Members called on the Administrator of the DACF to stop or refund it if it had started the deduction or else, “we would take legal action against the DACF Administrator”.

The members also called on the Regional Minister, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development as well as the Sister/City programme to stop the Bongo delegation from embarking on the said journey.

But Mr Akugre rubbished the allegation raised against him and the management of the Assembly and said the issue was tabled before the assembly and it was approved.

He said there was a lot of benefits attached to the visit saying districts that had engaged in it had benefited a lot in the areas of roads, health facilities and education.

He explained that other districts in the Region were also going on the trip and not the Bongo District Assembly alone.

Source: GNA