CPP to establish to revamp agriculture

Kumasi, Aug 8, GNA- The Convention People's Party (CPP), would establish a food distribution board and agricultural marketing agency, as part of measures to revamp agriculture in the country, if voted into power in the 2008 Election.

Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, CPP flag bearer, who announced this, explained that the board would focus on post-harvest issues such as preservation, processing and distribution to ensure food security and finding domestic and international markets for agriculture produce.

He was speaking at a Rural Development Forum dubbed "my party's vision on rural development", which was organized under the auspices of the Bureau of Integrated Rural Development (BIRD) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi on Thursday. Other political parties which participated in the forum include New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), People's National Convention (PNC) and Democratic Freedom Party (DFP). The event aimed at affording the political parties the opportunity to highlight their programmes for the development of the rural areas if given the mandate in the 2008 Election.

Dr. Nduom said the CPP would develop irrigation system, silos, kilns extend electricity, telephone, water build roads and affordable houses. He said that the CPP would resource KNUST and the University of Development Studies as well as other research institutes to expand academic programmes on rural economy and support rural dwellers to participate effectively in national development. Dr. Nduom lamented the current practice where the President nominated district chief executives (DCEs) for approval by the district assembly because it denied the people the right to question government policies as the DCEs were not accountable to them. A CPP government, he said, would ensure the amendment of the constitutional provision that gave the President such powers, and empower the people to elect district, municipal and metropolitan chief executives towards rapid rural development. Mr Emmanuel Ansah-Antwi, flag bearer of the DFP, said the party would pursue an integrated rural development approach for the growth of all sectors of the rural communities if voted into power in the December polls. He affirmed his party's resolve to resource industries in rural areas to make them more viable to enable them to employ the youth to stem rural-urban migration. Mr Abraham Kabah, a leading member of the PNC, said the party would tackle the problem of illiteracy and unemployment, especially in the rural areas by pursuing sustainable educational programme to equip the people with skills and knowledge required to improve their living conditions.