Wamfie (B/R), Nov. 17, GNA – Mr Emmanuel Kofi Agyemang, the Dormaa East District Chief Executive on Tuesday encouraged the youth and returnee migrants in Dormaa East District to take advantage of the numerous opportunities, interventions introduced by the government.
He said there were opportunities in the agriculture sector to address unemployment challenges and the phenomenon of irregular migration facing them in the area.
He explained that the District Assembly included in its medium-term development plan for 2018 – 2021 a commitment to reduce the occurrence of irregular migration in the area.
The DCE stated that this however made them to welcome the involvement and ideas from the Dormaa East Migrants Association when they had approached the Assembly to work with it to address the problem.
Mr Kofi Agyemang said this at the 2nd Anniversary celebration of the Dormaa East Migrant Association held in Wamfie in the Dormaa East District of the Bono Region.
It was themed: “The Role of the Youth in Developing Ghana’s Economy”.
The ceremony was attended by chiefs, youth groups, religious leaders, civil society organisation and a cross-section of the public. It also allowed a couple of the returnees migrants to openly and publicly share their harrowing experience sojourning on the deserts to Libya.
He explained that there exist numerous opportunities for the youth from the government including the NABCo initiative engaging 100,000 graduates, Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs) programme and the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) they can engage in, stressing “lots of youth in the area have hugely profited from PFJs”.
“In 2018, 2019 and 2020 a total of 794,550 cashew seedlings were planted and supplied free of charge to 3,600 farmers. We are building a poultry processing factory. Moreover, land is being prepared for the nursing of additional 200, 000 cashew seedlings entreating the irregular migrants and interested members of the public to venture into the business of cultivating these seedlings,” he added.
He stated further that the government has set up a Tree Crop Development Authority to regulate the price of cashew, mango, palm tree, rubber crops.
The DCE noted that the success of the PERD and PFJs programmes in the area largely depended on the involvement of the youth, and not the old/elderly people in the community whose strength in farming was gradually weaning and fading away.
He added that in 2017 and 2018 lots of people in the area had cultivated cassava in the area but access to ready market was a big challenge.
“The Assembly took the matter up. Thankfully, with the support of the European Union (EU), the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the BOK Africa Concern, a Berekum based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) we were able to put up a gari processing factory at Praprabebida community,” he added.
Mr Kofi Agyemang asked the returnee migrants and interested members of the public to go into cassava farming assuring them of profitability, they will serve as a direct source to feed the factory with raw cassava material.
The DCE indicated that the Assembly was assisting communities undertaking self-help project with 500 bags of cement.
He commended the ENI group for establishing the Agri-Business Training Centre and training more youth in the area and called for more support from organisations and individuals wishing to help empower the youth in the area to fight poverty and unemployment.
Nana Diamono Kokoti Kumi, Mansen Gyaasehene of Dormaa Traditional Area, asked them to be inspired by the tragic experiences and stories of returnee migrants and seek proper and legal ways of travelling.
He advised them to take advantage of the various opportunities in agriculture and better the outcome of their lives.
The Chief assured the Association he will talk and consult with other chiefs for the allocation of land for agriculture purposes.
GNA