Convert Babile Agricultural Station into UDS campus - Lawra Naa

By Philip Tengzu, GNA    

Lawra (UWR), Oct. 08, GNA – Naa Puowele Karbo III, Paramount Chief of the Lawra Traditional Area, has implored government to consider converting the Babile Agricultural Research Station as an Agricultural Campus of University for Development Studies (UDS).

The Wa Campus of the UDS is under consideration for conversation into a fully-fledged university with the proposed name, University for Business and Integrated Studies (UBIDS), suggested by President Akufo-Addo.

The Chief expressed the belief that adoption of the agric station as a university campus would help provide specialised agricultural training to young men and women on Climate Smart Agricultural practices as part of measures to improve the sector and the economy and quicken development of the area.

Naa Karbo III made the call in Lawra during the 43rd Kobine Festival celebrated by the Chiefs and People of the Lawra Traditional Area.

The festival was on the theme: “Protecting our Environment – Key to Ensuring our future food security”, which aimed at acknowledging sustained efforts of farmers in contributing to food security.

“Capacity Building targeting the various actors especially the staff of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture should be given the adequate investment attention,” he said.

“It is in this regard that I wish to appeal that the Babile Agricultural Research Station, one of the oldest in the country, with adequate land and other facilities should be adopted as the Agricultural Campus of the future autonomous University for Development Studies,” Naa Karbo III added.

He was of the view that the move would help provide specialised training to local actors in the agricultural value chain on Climate Smart Agricultural Practices.  

He commended government for implementing cutting edge programmes in the agricultural sector with Planting for Food and Jobs programme and Planting for Export and Rural Development at the centre, to improve economy of farmers and fight climate change.

He, however, appealed to the government to establish agricultural mechanisation centre in the Lawra Municipality with adequate equipment to provide mechanisation services to farmers to further boost farming activities.

This would give meaning to the agricultural transformation agenda of the government.

On other economic activities in Lawra, Naa Karbo called for timely completion of the Dikpe Bridge to facilitate social and economic activities between the people of the Lawra Municipal and Ghana in general and their Burkinabe counterparts.

The Member of Parliament for Lawra Constituency, Mr Anthony Karbo, said improving early childhood education was a priority, which according to him, informed his decision to facilitate the construction of ultramodern kindergartens at Babile and Kuole, while plans were far advanced for the construction of a state of the art nursery at Zambo. 

He added that 92 students from the Municipality had gained government of Ghana scholarship to study various programmes at the tertiary level to help develop the human resource base of the Municipality for sustainable development.

The four-day event characterised by the rich culture of the people including dancing and hunting, was attended by Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, Ministers of State and government functionaries, traditional rulers across the Region, parts of Savannah Region, and Burkina Faso.

GNA

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