" USE LAND TO CREATE JOBS FOR THE YOUTH"(Jan.12,Pg 30)

THE Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey, has entreated traditional leaders in the region to disengage themselves from the indiscriminate sale of land under their control and rather use the land to create jobs for the youth by engaging them in agriculture.
He said by engaging in unrestrained sale of stool and family lands, some traditional leaders in the region were perpetually denying the future generation of land for farming and other development purposes.
Mr Ashietey was speaking at a new year reception which was attended by chiefs, queens, public servants, diplomats and some Ministers of State within the Greater Accra Region.
He said traditional authorities were key actors in the decentralisation process and partners in the development of the country and as such they could use the land under their control and the youth on whose behalf they controlled the land to help achieve food security in the country.
“Land is key to peace and it is significant for all of us to prove to the rest of Ghana and the world that we can accommodate, tolerate and co-exist without conflict,” he stated.
Mr Asheitey said in spite of the challenges that faced the country, the Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) was able to make some inroads in its development agenda last year.
He said through the RCC’s collaboration with the security agencies, the region reduced crime considerably, adding that the region was able to organise the first agricultural forum at Dodowa, which brought together stakeholders to deliberate on the modernisation of agriculture.
He added that the RCC was able to constitute a board of governors for health institutions in the Greater Accra Region which would help improve health delivery in the region.
Some personalities present included the Greater Accra representative on the Council of State, Mr Emmanuel Adzei Annan; the Chairman of the Civil Service Council, Dr Robert Dodoo; a former diplomat, Mr K.B. Asante; the Chief Executive of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Mr Larry Adjetey; the Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr Sylvester Mensah, and the Tema Regional Police Crime Officer, Superintendent Eric Amoako.
Others were the Deputy Minister for Youth and Sports, Nii Nortey Dua; the Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr Joe Gidisu; the Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South, Mr Fitz Baffour, and chiefs from various traditional areas of the Greater Accra.