The war against poverty rages on, but . . .

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• Atigsibadek 11 years ago

  Just when i thought a fine article was being composed...then the political bias set in....ooh Ama Ghana,maybe one day we will overcome our patriotism towards parties n rather think Ghana.

  Just when i thought a fine article was being composed...then the political bias set in....ooh Ama Ghana,maybe one day we will overcome our patriotism towards parties n rather think Ghana.

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• NICHOLAS 11 years ago

  There is nothing new in your article apart from your bitterness of your party losing the elections to Prez Mahama.We have ever seen the NPP in power before and our problems never got solved.If your party has lost the election ...
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  There is nothing new in your article apart from your bitterness of your party losing the elections to Prez Mahama.We have ever seen the NPP in power before and our problems never got solved.If your party has lost the elections,you just give the winner the needed peace to rule the country.Away with the All-Die-Be-Die mentality and nonsense.

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• Paul Amuna 11 years ago

  Kofi, clearly you are interested in food security and poverty alleviation in Ghana. I am wholly with you on that, but why do you spoil your article with all the innuendo, gossip and 'tabloid and personality stuff'? And why do ...
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  Kofi, clearly you are interested in food security and poverty alleviation in Ghana. I am wholly with you on that, but why do you spoil your article with all the innuendo, gossip and 'tabloid and personality stuff'? And why do you accuse the Mahama administration of corruption whilst the poverty continues? Can you not see your contribution in a truly national light and focus on the issues? I find it quite frustrating and disappointing that people should colour what is after all an important topic of national interest with party colours bothering on 'tribal sentiments' in my opinion.
  
  I notice you were particularly 'kind' to the KA Busia regime which though briefly, you were at pains to empasise that it was from 1969 to 1972 (cut rudely short I presume). The Limann tenure was equally cut short and only lasted 27 months from 1979 to Dec 31 1981. Did that government have enough time and room (and resources) to make any impact? By the way you also forgot to credit the Nkrumah government with the "Work and Happiness" concept and the national farming policies of that government. It was he who set up the Ghana Food Distribution Corporation to 'capture' grain purchases from farmers for storage and re-sale during the 'lean season' to stabilise prices on our markets. You remember the huge grain silos at the North Kaneshie Industrial Area which were rudely stopped when the NLC took over power (along with stoppage of the cocoa storage silos in Tema? What were the reasons for that.
  
  To suggest that somehow our governments have not taken agriculture and food security seriously or to attribute positive contributions only to certain people is at best intellectual dishonesty! Yes, Acheampong and the "operation feed yourself" programme were successful in the near term and by 1977 the country was gripped in severe drought and famine leading to the importation of cheap "yellow corn" meant for animal feeds from the US. Remember that period? I would credit the Kufuor government with some good efforts especially under Major Quarshigah (RIP) (an Ewe) as the minister of Agric during the early 2000s, but before that in the late 1980s to early 1990s too the Rawlings government made some strides.
  
  Part of our problem is that whether it be the operation feed yourself" or other agric programmes, not to talk of those like VORADEP, URADEP, EREDEP supported by the world bank under NRC/SMC I & II, these programmes were short-sighted, lacked long-term planning and did not empower the people to become agriculturally self-sufficient and to take 'commercial farming' as a career path. Furthermore, the so-called commercial farmers who benefited from government subsidies and the like preferred to EXPORT rather than sell at home so profit became the overriding motive for farming. Are you surprised that we are in this state today? Whilst we are at it, please re-visit history and tell Ghanaians and our ardent readers - whose idea was behind the creation of "Ejura Farms" which for decades was the major producer of grain (maize) in Ghana? Perhaps you would care to revisit the Nkrumah era.
  
  So, Kofi, you, like me are an intellectual. You like me, want to see Ghana lifted out of poverty and for food security. Now you tell me - how can we achieve that if we only see things through the 'prism' of partisanship? Can we not write articles and provide sound suggestions for government (of whichever colour NPP or NDC) to ponder and consider? Why don't we join forces and put objective, clear and sustained pressure on government to 'do something' about our national situation and need without resorting to 'political bigotry' and cheap and useless politicking? Mind you the poor in Ghana don't even know which party is which most of the time and they are only visited when there are elections and promises are made by all the parties which sadly, they FAIL to keep. Let us work together rather than spoil it all by being so partisan. Listen to the wise words of Mr Appiah Menka who has said that tribalism, party political bigotry and corruption are what bedevil our country. I wholly agree with him and I can say your posture in writing does not help his ( and our) course!

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