Lucky Mensah and Sharifa Gunu bolster 'EatGhana' campaign

Two of Ghana's sensational artists, Lucky Mensah and Sherifa Gunu at the weekend electrified the Cape Coast Metropolis with a mega musical concert and eating competition to give strong support to the consumption of local dishes.

The event dubbed 'Eat Ghana' was organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Creative Arts and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to significantly increase awareness on the essence and the nutritional content of Ghanaian foods.

The campaign concept draws on re-orienting Ghanaians on a new sense of national pride in its heritage, culture and way of life.

Interspersed with smooth Ghanaian songs by the great artists was a fiercely contested cooking competition for seven selected churches in the Metropolis.

Wearing their beautiful aprons, the two music icons together joined and prepared sumptuous “Tuo-zaafi” (T-Z) to fete hundreds of people who thronged the Chapel Square Sunday afternoon.

It formed part of activities marking the 20th anniversary of the Emancipation Day celebration.

The programme featured cooking tips and demonstration by a professional chef, a nutrition talk and finally, a two and a half hour cooking competition among the contestants after which a winner was chosen by a panel of judges.

The contestants cooked assigned Ghanaian dishes and desserts that they picked out of a mystery basket.

The Methodist Church, which carried the day prepared “Peewa” and beans and received a certificate and hampers as their prize.

They would represent the Central Region at the national competition.

The Anglican Church and Bethel Presbyterian Church were second and third respectively.

The two music icons, took turns to address the mammoth crowd and charged them to join the campaign with the saying ‘See Ghana, Eat Ghana, Wear Ghana, Feel Ghana campaign’.

According to them, it behoved on the Committee to get Ghanaians to change their perceptions about Made-in-Ghana products to drive, demand and help grow the local economy as well as build their capacities to produce more.

A Nutritionist, Mrs Kate Amartey, who gave a talk on the benefit of eating nutritious diets, said 'what you eat determines your health'.

She advised people not to take advantage of the festivities to eat anyhow but ensure that they consumed balanced diets in their right proportions, drank more water, took in less sugar, ate breakfast, fruits and vegetables, exercised and had enough rest.