We want to stop food importation – Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said the introduction of government’s Planting for Food and Jobs Programme aims at transiting Ghana into a self-sufficient nation that would no longer import food from other countries.

The food programme introduced last year involves the supply of improved seedlings and subsidised fertilizer as well as agricultural extension officers who would guide local farmers.

The first year registered 200,000 farmers nationwide, the President said, adding that due to its success the scheme was being expanded to cover 500,000 farmers.

“And by the end of our four-year mandate our target is one million farmers,” he added: “We want to stop the importation of food from Burkina, Cote d’Ivoire…we can produce the food ourselves in Ghana here”.

“So through you [Wa Naa] I am appealing to all the farmers in the region to sign up to the programme,” he added.

President Akufo-Addo also urged the chiefs and people to get involved in the Free Senior High School education to enrol their children, saying: “That is the only way we can face the future with confidence. The whole population will be ready to face and win the battle for the development of Ghana”.

The first year of the policy attracted 90,000 young men and women into senior high school but policy makers project the figure would soar to 180,000 more this year.

“We are recruiting 10,000 more teachers to deal with this expanding population,” he said because nothing should be done to deny access to a single boy and girl education in Ghana.

Naa Fuseini Seidu Pelpuo IV, the Overlord of Waala Traditional Area, appealed for the conversions of the Wa Polytechnic into a technical university and also make Wa campus of the University for Development Studies autonomous.

Source: GNA