The virus, known as cassava mosaic disease (CMD), attacks the leaves of the plant and limits the growth of its roots. It is spread by insects or by diseased cassava being transplanted to new areas.

"Our harvests are getting worse and worse. That's why bags of fufu and roots are so expensive in the markets," she said.

Fufu is eaten across Africa and is made by boiling starchy roots like cassava, also known as manioc, in water and then pounding them until they reach a porridge-like consistency.

Veronique Okaka, who grows cassava in Ouesso in Congo's Sangha department, also complained of hard times due to the cassava mosaic.

"Before, we had enough to feed our children and to make some money for other things. But lately, because of this disease, we sometimes get fufu from Cameroon," she said.

The price of a bag of fufu has soared from 15,000 CFA (US$28.50) to 35,000 CFA ($67) in recent months in Congolese markets, partly because of the problems faced by growers and traders of cassava.

Specialists in Congo's agricultural ministry say the disease might lead to a drop of between 60 and 90 percent in harvests and could throw entire communities into a critical food situation.

CMD has been spreading throughout central Africa and arrived in the Republic of Congo in the mid-1990s.

Fighting back

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been at the forefront in the battle against the disease. The only known way to fight it is to develop varieties that are resistant to the virus and distribute them to farmers.

In Pool, one of Congo's worst-hit departments, the ICRC has been growing these resistant varieties. Over a two-month period last year, it took cuttings from these plants and distributed them to groups of cassava growers in the area.

The ICRC has handed out 330,000 cuttings to about 100 different groups, benefiting about 1,500 families. These groups received training in how to stop the spread of CMD, and were also given ploughing equipment.

In October, the ICRC joined the Congolese Red Cross and the agriculture ministry to provide training in Kinkala in the Pool Department on ways of fighting the disease.

The departments of Pool and Plateaux, also badly hit by the epidemic, recently received more than 330,000 cuttings of six different varieties of cassava developed in 2004 by the International Institute of Agricultural Technologies (IITA) in Kinshasa, in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Another 175,000 cuttings, taken from four new resistant strains, are being distributed in four other departments.

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]

Osei-Wusu noted that once the package, to be funded by his share of GETfund is in place, he would enter into performance agreement with teachers to sustain improved standards towards development.

The immediate past constituency chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) also planned establishing processing plants across the constituency to check post harvest losses and ensure that farmers derive benefits from their toil, and he mentioned the provision of storage facilities and processing of plantain and cassava into powder for fufu.

The independent candidate, whose other priority area is agriculture, indicated that loans would be secured for farmers and medium and small scale operators to expand their ventures.

Osei-Wusu said he would also give priority to the strengthening of the party's support base in the constituency by creating job opportunities for the youth in the area of agriculture and creation of investment avenues and employment opportunities.

The independent aspirant, who has come to be known as the "Amansie Star", otherwise called Joe Wise, pleaded with the people not to lose sight of the great strides that the NPP government had made to improve upon the lives of the people through its good policies and vote massively for Nana Akufo Addo as the next president of Ghana.

Madam Ama Fosuhemaa, who contested the sitting MP Kofi Poku Adusei in the 2004 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate, pleaded with the people to rally behind Mr. Osei-Wusu, who she described as a shinning star, to unseat the incumbent MP, whose three terms in Parliament, she noted, had literally plunged the area into 'darkness'.

She described the MP as a common enemy, who must be taken off the back of the people to enable Osei-Wusu champion their aspirations in the next National Assembly.

The failed parliamentary aspirant urged the people to vote massively for Osei-Wusu, while asking the sitting MP, Poku Adusei to recite Psalm 51 in prayer and ask for forgiveness for the sins of cheating the people of Amansie and depriving them of development all these years.

Mr. Francis Appiadu-Poku, a former TESCON leader and secretary to the Osei-Wusu campaign team, said the darkness into which Poku Adusei plunged Amansie would be eclipsed by the shine of the independent candidate's symbol of a star.

"The only thing that can help revitalize the Bekwai constituency is to get an active and vibrant leader to propagate the ideals of the party," he suggested.

He cautioned Kofi Adusei Poku, described as "Kasoa MP", following his recognition by the NPP at the Kasoa rally last July, to prepare to don the "Skirt and blouse" that the people of Amansie had for him.

Nana Amankwah Kudom II and 86-year-old Nana Yaa Birago, chief and queen mother respectively of Senfi Adumasa, as well as elders of Adumasaman graced the occasion.

Osei-Wusu has already toured Kyereansah, Sefwi, Brosankra, Adjamesu, Dominase, Senfi, Denyase, Ahwiankwanta, Ahwiaa, Sunkyerekrom, Amoamo, Atwetwesu, Oseikokookrom, Emenase, Ahwiam, Sesekro, Bodoma, Bone, Huntado, Poano, Afransie, Ntinanko, Wawase, Denyasefuokrom, Cobbina Nkwanta, and Sarfokrom.

He would visit Koneyaw community, where the chief and his elders are anxiously waiting for him to address the people at a durbar.

Meanwhile, Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, a leading member of the NPP is recorded on tape to have said that the party had no problem with the candidature of Mr. Osei-Wusu, as an independent candidate.

The defeated NPP presidential aspirant, who mounted the NPP platform at Agogo in the Asante Akim North constituency last week Tuesday, as monitored by HOT FM, noted that the case of Bekwai was an exception to the NPP regulations regarding independent candidates.

According to him, not all independent candidates are that bad. "Some of the independent candidates are good," he emphasized and described Osei-Wusu as a true party man.

The former Sports Minister indicated, by implying that even as an independent candidate, the NPP did not consider Osei-Wusu's candidature as a threat to the party because the flag bearer still commanded the unflinching support of the people.

The prostrate secretes a thin cloudy alkaline fluid that helps make up seminal fluid. The muscular contractions of the prostate squeeze the prostatic fluids and help mix it with semen and sperm - The muscles help to ejaculate.

There are many types of prostate diseases and many factors that can cause prostate problems. There are two main categories of prostate problems - They are:

Prostatic Hypertrophy

Prostatic Hypertrophy is the enlargement of the prostate. It can slow down, interrupt, block, or stop the flow of urine as well as cause urine to stay in the bladder too long, resulting in infections and/or inflammation. This can lead to kidney disease and destroy the kidney.

Prostatitis

Prostatitis is the inflammation of the prostate. Disease can directly and indirectly affect the prostate such as Sugar Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Rheumatism, Arthritis, Varicose Veins, as and Hypoglycemia, which damages prostate nerves.

There are early warnings of prostate problems. These include premature baldness and/or ejaculation can indicate weakness and/or deterioration of the prostate.

Young boys who dribble urine after it stops flowing and often leave urine stains in their underwear may be indicating the beginning of prostate problems. Men that need to shake their penis several times because urine dribbles after urination stops may have the onset of problems. Usually, early warnings are ignored until the male reaches middle age and has an enlarged prostate, cancer of the prostate or infertility.

Infertility is rising, as twenty-five percent of married couples cannot have children. It has been steadily decreasing each year. Imbalanced hormone levels (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) can result in decreased sperm counts. Excess estrogen in processed foods lowers the progesterone and testosterone level, which lowers the sperm count and deteriorates the prostate.

There are estrogen and steroid-type chemicals in meats, milk (dairy), eggs and fish. Excess estrogen weakens the prostate and causes cancer of the prostate in men. Therefore, the consumption of excess estrogen in cow's milk starts the deterioration of the prostate.

Prostaglandin hormones, as well as Adrenalin hormones are released as a reaction to High Blood Pressure, Stress, Diabetes, Obesity, Drugs, Junk Food, fish, Meat, Egg, and Dairy consumption.

Prostaglandins cause prostate muscle contraction and are anti-inflammatory. They can be high in semen. An overly high prostaglandin level weakens the tissue of the prostate; the prostate reacts by getting thicker, developing scar tissue and becomes hypertrophied (enlarged).

The prostate is harmed by white sugar, alcohol, vinegar, salt, processed foods, the toxic synthetic chemicals in commercial After-shave, deodorants, colognes, cough suppressants and allergy remedies.

They enter the blood and prostate. They cause cellular waste to be suppressed (kept) in the prostate and alter normal function. Also Sexual intercourse with ejaculation causes the same nutrients' energy loss as running 20 miles.

In conclusion then, a lifestyle with junk foods and excessive sex will eventually destroy the prostate.

Therefore my advice to Ghanaian men would be to eliminate white bread, white rice, Banku, fufu, fish, meat, milk, eggs, salt etc from their diet and EAT more fruits, vegetables, pulses (nuts - sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, monkey nuts, cashew nuts), whole meal brown bread, brown rice, sea salt, Soya milk etc.

In addition to this cutting down on the level of sexual activity that one does to maybe once or twice a week.

The hoodlums, according to eye-witnesses account, spotting teenage appearance, dressed in suits and numbering 15, were said to have stormed the bank, which is tangentially opposite the popular Governor's office, around 2p.m., in three vehicles and made straight to the banking hall.

The robbers, the source added, entered the banking hall with ease and ordered both customers and staff to lie face down and positioned themselves in strategic places. As each customer entered the banking hall, the robbers were said to have announced their mission with assurances that they would not hurt them if they cooperate.

Shortly before the robbers fled, they encountered anti-riot policeman that engaged them in a shoot-out.

The deceased police inspector, who is said to be the head of the police team guarding the bank, was alerted and brought to the scene of the incident by one of his subordinates, and instantly took the challenge to confront the robbers.

The eye-witness claimed that the police inspector changed into a mufti as a disguise, but unknown to him, the robbers who had already taken positions within the bank premises, opened fire.

The source said, "we advised Alhaji not to go, but he said he had no option than to confront the robbers. The policeman that came to tell him just said armed robbers were around, he did not tell him that they were already inside the bank. Look at the fufu he bought for him to break his fast later in the evening," he said.