FAO reminds African leaders of need for food security

Accra, March 22, GNA-African leaders have been reminded to ensure that the food needs of the average African is met, as part of measures to promote security on the continent.

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director General Jacque Diouf and Ghana's Interior Minister Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, meeting in Accra, have agreed that one way of addressing the food security problem is to move from the present over-dependence on the weather for food production, and also promote agro-processing, and good storage facilities to reduce the current high levels of food losses.


Mr Diouf has called the Interior Minister last Friday, to share ideas on the importance of food security as a critical component of national security.


A release in Accra from the Ministry of the Interior, signed by Mrs Adiza Ofori-Adu, for the Sector Minister, on Monday said the discussions highlighted the need for African governments to give priority to food security in their food production programmes.


They called for appropriate incentives to be provided to farmers, and pointed out that farmers should be encouraged to engage in sustainable agricultural practices.


The release said the FAO Director General reiterated the support of the Organisation to the current efforts of the Government of Ghana towards self- sufficiency in some critical food crops as well as the national food security programme, which must necessarily be a component of the national security programme.


Twelve Ada Secondary School students dismissed

Akim Oda, March 22, GNA - The authorities of the Ada Secondary School dismissed 12 students for various offences including going to town without permission.


The Headmaster, Mr David Afosah-Anim made this known at a Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meeting on Saturday at Ada. He said the measure was to help raise the academic standard of students adding that the poor performance of the school in last year's Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination was due to indiscipline on the part of students.


Mr Afosah-Anim urged the parents to invest in the education of the children to enable them acquire knowledge and skills necessary for national development.


He also appealed to parents to pay the school fees of their children promptly and expressed regret that students were indebted to the school to 300 million cedis.


The PTA Chairman, Nana Domena Sampong I, commended the headmaster for working assiduously to uplift the image of the school.