President Mahama join Chiefs and People of Ziope to celebrate Agbleza

Torgbui Binah Lawluvi welcoming President Mahama to the festival grounds

Government is to relaunch the Youth in Agriculture programme, under the new Youth Employment Agency (YEA) in order to boost young people's interest in that sector.

According to President John Mahama, the relaunch has become necessary following the restructuring of the then Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Agency (GYEEDA) into now Ghana Youth Employment Agency (YEA) backed by an Act of Parliament.

This, he said will ensure the equipping young people with the requisite skills, inputs and machinery to engage in large scale cultivation to meet the high market demand for agricultural produce.

Addressing the Chiefs and people of Ziope traditional area in the Agotime-Ziope district of the Volta region, during their annual Agbleza (farming festival) on Saturday, the President urged the youth in the area to take advantage of the programme to improve their livelihood.

Touching on the 200 community Senior  high schools promised by the NDC government, President Mahama disclosed that, work is currently progressing on 123 out the 200 across the country.

This, according to him includes the Initial 50 schools, most of which are nearing completion, an additional 23 being executed under the World Bank Schools' improvement project and the recent awarding of another 50 schools to contractors.

The president has therefore assured the Chiefs and people of Ziope, one of the beneficiary communities in the Volta region that, his government is committed to delivering the 200 SHSs by the December 2016.

The Paramount chief of the area, Torgbui Binnah Lawluvi VI, who is also the Volta region representative on the Council of State, commended the government for the numerous developmental projects ongoing in the area, including the rehabilitation of an irrigation dam to boost agricultural production, which is the main occupation of inhabitants.

He however, appealed to the president to expedite work on the extension of potable water form Sogakope through Adidiome and Adaklu to the area.

The Agbleza (Farming festival) was instituted to celebrate them the unique contribution of the people of Ziope towards the socio-economic development of the country and also raise funds to support developmental projects.