The Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, Sammi Awuku, has launched an ambitious initiative aimed at boosting economic prosperity for his constituents.
The initiative, dubbed “Ofie Market,” is designed to reduce post-harvest losses and bring fresh, organic farm produce directly to consumers at cheaper prices.
Speaking at the well-attended event held at Amanorkrom Durbar Grounds, Sammi Awuku, explained that the market will connect hardworking farmers with consumers, ensuring that fresh produce reaches homes while also helping farmers and traders earn more for their efforts.
The OFIE market will be held on the last Saturday of every month at the Amanokrom Durbar Grounds.
Sammi Awuku expressed his excitement about the project, stating that it has the backing of 500 farmers and 300 market queens in the constituency who are ready to make it a success.
Sammi Awuku emphasized that the market is more than just a place to buy food; it is about improving lives, supporting local farmers, and making organic produce affordable for everyone.
He quoted Nana Osim Kwatia, the Gyaasehene of Okuapeman, who said that just as people see the private sector as the engine of growth, farmers are the true backbone of the economy and the true engine of growth for the nation.
In addition to the Ofie Market initiative, Sammi Awuku has also been working on providing economic empowerment for his constituents.
He has linked up with the Akuapem Rural Bank to facilitate access to credit for entrepreneurs and small-scale enterprises.
Sammi Awuku believes that getting access to credit is not an easy thing, and he is committed to helping his constituents overcome this challenge.
To achieve this, Sammi Awuku has worked out modalities with the bank to raise seed money of 1 million Ghana cedis to help traders in the constituency.
He has also decided to help raise 25% of the interest on the loan, which is normally 30%. This, he believes, will help traders who have no collateral to access credit.
Sammi Awuku’s commitment to his constituents’ economic prosperity is evident in his efforts to provide support for teachers and health professionals in the constituency.
He has made a firm commitment to help them access credit from a fund that will be set up by the middle of the year. This fund will provide seed money for teachers and health professionals to improve their living conditions.
Hon. Sammi Awuku’s initiatives demonstrate his dedication to bringing economic prosperity to his constituents.
The excitement on the faces of the Chiefs, farmers, traders and the constituents gathered did not go unnoticed.
[12:21 PM, 2/16/2025] Frank: President John Mahama’s Betrayal of Teacher Trainees: A Lifelong Disdain for their Profession
By Samuel Osei Sarkodie (NPP Youth Organiser, New Juaben North Constituency)
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has repeatedly proven itself to be an obstacle to quality, accessible education in Ghana. Time and again, they have sabotaged policies aimed at easing the burden on students and trainees’ policies that would have transformed lives and secured the future of our nation.
Ahead of the 2016 general elections, Ghanaians watched as the self-serving NDC government, led by then President John Mahama, aggressively fought against the implementation of Free SHS, a policy that has since become a game-changer for education in Ghana. The same Mahama who now shamelessly claims he will improve education was the very man who sought to deny Ghanaian youth the opportunity to learn without financial barriers.
But perhaps the most callous decision taken by the Mahama administration was the cancellation of teacher trainee allowances, a policy that had long served as a lifeline for thousands of young Ghanaians aspiring to become educators. When the affected trainees expressed their frustration and rejected this betrayal, Mahama arrogantly dismissed their concerns, stating that he had a “dead-goat syndrome” an outright declaration that he was indifferent to their plight. This reckless, detached attitude encapsulates his approach to governance; he does not care.
What did Mahama do with the money he ripped away from these struggling trainees? Certainly not to build the promised hospitals or improve educational infrastructure. Under his watch, neither the health sector nor the educational system saw any meaningful advancement. Instead, corruption scandals flourished, mismanagement thrived, and the very people who needed government support the most were abandoned.
Beyond the cancellation of allowances, Mahama’s administration plunged nursing graduates into years of joblessness. Between 2013 and 2016, most nursing trainees languished at home for nearly four years, waiting for postings that never came. Ghanaian citizens suffered from chronic understaffing in hospitals, while trained professionals sat at home, victims of Mahama’s incompetence.
Fast forward to 2017, and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo took decisive action. Not only were teacher and nursing trainee allowances fully restored within the first year, but the government also embarked on landmark projects to transform the health and education sectors.
The Agenda 111 initiative, a vision to build 111 hospitals across Ghana, was launched to correct the NDC’s negligence. Today, a substantial number of these hospitals are completed, commissioned, and operational, ensuring that no Ghanaian is left without access to quality healthcare.
In education, the Akufo-Addo government implemented the Free SHS policy, ensuring that no child’s future is determined by financial hardship. The government also took bold steps to absorb registration fees for the BECE and WASSCE, further easing the burden on struggling families.
The difference is clear. While the NPP prioritizes empowerment, opportunity, and growth, the NDC thrives on hardship and deprivation.
Ghanaian youth must wake up to the reality, the NDC’s track record is one of betrayal, incompetence, and misplaced priorities. If Mahama and his party had their way, Free SHS would never have existed, and teacher trainees would still be left to fend for themselves.
Let this be a special caution: a vote for NDC is a vote against your own future.
