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 President tasks NDPC to deliver bold, transformative path for devt

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• President Mahama (left) swearing in the members

 President John Dramani Mahama has inaugurated a 37-member Nation­al Development Planning Commis­sion (NDPC) with a task to deliver a “bold and transformative path” for the country’s development.

He wants the Commission to develop a long-term development plan that would transcend political regimes to Ghana’s prog­ress for generations.

The Commission amongst others is mandated to co-ordinate the decentralised development planning systems both at the district, regional and national levels.

Swearing in the Commission in Accra yesterday, President Mahama charged the Commission to develop the Coordinated Programme of Economic and Social Devel­opment Policies in line with the NDPC Act, 1994, (Act 479).

The programme, which he is enjoined to present to Parliament within two years, would form the basis for the medium-term national development policy framework.

He underscored the need for the Com­mission to broadly consult with the citizenry to draw a development plan that addresses the needs of the people.

President Mahama observed that nearly seven decades after independence, Gha­na’s economy continue to rely heavily on a narrow range of primary commodities, with limited diversification and value addition.

He noted the existence of multiple long-term development plans including the Gha­na Beyond Aid Charter, the Ghana@100 Long-term Development Framework, and the Vision 2057 Perspective Framework.

President Mahama urged that, in close collaboration with Parliament, the frame­works are consolidated into a single working document for easy implementation.

Chairman of the Commission, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, said the Commission would support the President to deepen decentrali­sation in the country.

Dr Thompson commended President Mahama for government’s decision to decentralise the management of waste by tasking the assemblies with the responsibility to manage their own sanitation.

“We need more of such decentralisation. The practice of procuring goods and ser­vices for district assemblies from Accra does not only undermine their ability to manage their own affairs, but it also represents the extraction and repatriation of wealth from those districts to Accra. It aggravates inequality and undermines the Constitution­al objective of equitable development,” Dr Thompson stated.

Other members of the Committee are the ministers for finance, gender, children and social protection, tourism, culture and creative arts, local government, chieftaincy and religious affairs, trade, agribusiness and industry, labour, jobs and employment, representation from all 16 regions, organised labour, academia, amongst others identifi­able groups.

The Commission is expected to work through eight sub-committees in the areas of the economy, transport and logistics, energy and private sector development, agriculture and natural resources, employ­ment, productivity, and earnings, public sector reforms and governance, social de­velopment, and infrastructure and land use management.

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 60 beekeepers trained in Volta, Oti regions

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• participants at the event

 Sixty beekeepers from the Volta and Oti regions have undergone a day’s capacity training in Ho to enhance their skills in improved way of harvesting honey.

The training which was organised by VOR­AB Project International, a non-governmen­tal organisation with funding from UNDP Global Environment Facility, seeks to school participants on the requisite knowledge on how to use modern equipment to enhance their work.

They were taken through hygienic ways of harvesting honey, guidelines of quality product, packaging and customer care.

Mr Devine Okoe Odonkor, Executive Director of VORAB Project International, noted that the NGO has been part of the beekeeping development effort in the Volta and Oti regions.

Therefore we are desirous of putting our expertise at the disposal of the district assemblies to develop the beekeeping industry as a sustainable nature conserva­tion and sustainable employment unit of the assemblies.

However, degradation of the natural environment due to primary production ac­tivities such as farming, sand winning and charcoal production have been alarming.

“We need to take advantage of a lot of benevolence for humanity, pollination for forest and farm crops production bee prod­ucts for food, medicine for these priceless gifts from bees.

Toured Amaglo, Customer Service Officer of the Forestry Commission in his remarks said we need to promote the establishment of one bee farm per district in the Volta and Oti regions as an integrated socio-economic and natural environment management unit of the assemblies.

He said despite financial challenges within the region, VORAB had demonstrat­ed appreciable efforts in making sure education gets to many more people in the communities.

He advised more youth to be ready to learn beekeeping and apply the various en­trepreneurial skills that would be provided.

From Kafui Gati, Ho

Sixty beekeepers from the Volta and Oti regions have undergone a day’s capacity training in Ho to enhance their skills in improved way of harvesting honey.

The training which was organised by VOR­AB Project International, a non-governmen­tal organisation with funding from UNDP Global Environment Facility, seeks to school participants on the requisite knowledge on how to use modern equipment to enhance their work.

They were taken through hygienic ways of harvesting honey, guidelines of quality product, packaging and customer care.

Mr Devine Okoe Odonkor, Executive Director of VORAB Project International, noted that the NGO has been part of the beekeeping development effort in the Volta and Oti regions.

Therefore we are desirous of putting our expertise at the disposal of the district assemblies to develop the beekeeping industry as a sustainable nature conserva­tion and sustainable employment unit of the assemblies.

However, degradation of the natural environment due to primary production ac­tivities such as farming, sand winning and charcoal production have been alarming.

“We need to take advantage of a lot of benevolence for humanity, pollination for forest and farm crops production bee prod­ucts for food, medicine for these priceless gifts from bees.

Toured Amaglo, Customer Service Officer of the Forestry Commission in his remarks said we need to promote the establishment of one bee farm per district in the Volta and Oti regions as an integrated socio-economic and natural environment management unit of the assemblies.

He said despite financial challenges within the region, VORAB had demonstrat­ed appreciable efforts in making sure education gets to many more people in the communities.

He advised more youth to be ready to learn beekeeping and apply the various en­trepreneurial skills that would be provided.

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 Dagbon bows in majesty to bid farewell to Late Mion Lana

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Sambu, the ancestral heartland of the Mion Traditional Area, has become a river of royal memory and cultural splendor as Dagbon bids farewell to one of its most revered sons, the late Mion Lana, Nyab Abdulai Mahamudu, in a grand specta­cle of tradition, reverence, and unity.

For a week now, the town has pulsed with a sacred rhythm resounding with ancestral drumming, soul-stirring dirges, ceremonial dances, and the thunderous salute of muskets.

The air is thick with incense and history, as Dagbon’s ancient customs unfurl in a symphony of grief and grandeur.

At the centre of it all stands the enduring spirit of the Mion Lana “The Peacemaker of Dagbon” whose final funeral rite, culmi­nated in a historic durbar, drawing chiefs, royals, politicians, and mourners.

All have gathered in Sambu not merely to mourn, but to celebrate a life that bridged tradition and transformation.

Nyab Abdulai Mahamudu was enskinned as Bolin-Lana at the tender age of 14, following the death of his father, the late Ya-Na Mahamadu IV.

For over three decades, he waited in the wings of tradition, observing sacred pro­tocols and enduring royal seclusion until March 3, 2019, when he was enskinned as Mion Lana, one of the most powerful positions within the Dagbon Kingdom and a direct heir to the revered Ya-Na throne. Yet his reign, though brief, was profoundly impactful.

With a voice firm in wisdom and a heart anchored in peace, the Mion Lana became a cornerstone in healing the fractured legacy of Dagbon’s past.

In 2019, his public endorsement of Ya-Na Abukari II symbolised the dawn of a new era—one of reconciliation, renewal, and shared destiny.

He was more than a royal figure; he was a visionary. Under his leadership, the Mion Traditional Area witnessed a surge in youth engagement, education reform, and com­munity development.

His “Back to School” campaigns reignit­ed hope for thousands of young people. Through partnerships with organisations like the Ghana National Petroleum Corpora­tion (GNPC), he oversaw the construction of new classroom blocks and championed the drilling of over 15 mechanised boreholes, bringing clean water to remote communi­ties.

In every action, the Mion Lana embodied a rare fusion of tradition and progress of ancient authority and modern compassion.

The final rites spearheaded by the elders of the Abudu Royal Gate and the Mion Traditional Council are as much a cultural renewal as they are a farewell.

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 GTA official honoured for outstanding support to TOUGHA

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• Mr Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi being honoured

 Mr Kofi Atta Kakra Kusi, Deputy Director in charge of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), has been honoured for his ex­ceptional contributions to the Tour Operators Union of Ghana (TOUGHA).

The honour was conferred by Mrs Alisa Osei-Asamoah, the immediate past president of TOUGHA, during a thanksgiving dinner she hosted to mark the end of her four-year leadership of the Union.

Mr Kusi received a citation acknowledging his pivotal role in enhancing TOUGHA’s visibility and fostering strategic partnerships during her tenure.

“Through your expertise and extensive media connections, you have significantly amplified TOUGHA’s visibility and highlight­ed our efforts across the industry. Your strategic media guidance has been instrumental in shaping pos­itive narratives about our work,” the citation read.

It continued, “Beyond media support, your role as Deputy Di­rector of Corporate Affairs at the Ghana Tourism Authority has been crucial in strengthening TOUGHA’s collaboration with key institu­tions. Your counsel, professional­ism, and unwavering commitment have been a pillar not only to me personally, but to the entire union.”

Mr Kusi’s professional jour­ney reflects a blend of academic excellence, industry experience, and dedication to national devel­opment.

A proud alumnus of Prempeh College, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Ghana, Legon, be­fore obtaining a Master of Arts in Public Relations from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (now UNI­MAC-GIJ) in 2020.

He further pursued an MBA in Marketing at the Methodist Uni­versity College Ghana, graduating in 2022. He also holds a Certifi­cate in Tourism and Hospitality Management from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

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