National Farmers Day 2023: Again, Bomaa Paradise Choir too deserves recognition

As I’ve been doing annually, I’m reminding the Ministry of Agriculture, and indeed the Government, that the Bomaa Paradise Choir (BPC) is one more name that should be added to the Honours List at the National Farmers Day (NFD) celebration on Friday, December 1, 2023.

The simple reason is that the choir’s tribute song to Ghanaian farmers, ‘Ghana Akuafo’, (ode to Ghana’s farmers) has become the popular, unofficial anthem of the event.

It is the one song regularly used to publicize the Day, notably on the airwaves, but sadly, to my knowledge, no state recognition has ever been given to that choir for their patriotic, highly catchy/melodious salute to our farmers – not even in a speech!

This year the 39th NFD is being hosted by Tarkwa, Western Region, under the theme ‘Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience’. Going by the list of award categories, almost every conceivable aspect of agriculture is to be recognized. Clearly the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Government aim to underscore the importance attached to every segment of the sector.

In addition to the Overall National Bests and runners-up, the categories include National Best Female Farmer, National Best Physically Challenged Farmer; Best Fish Processor; Best Most Promising Young Cocoa Farmer; and Best Shea Nut Picker.

Notably, over the years, the prizes have improved spectacularly and all sectors are given due recognition – ironically, all except the choir of its own volition complemented the Government’s expression of appreciation to farmers by composing the compelling song.

National Farmers Day is celebrated on the first Friday of December “to recognise the contributions of farmers and fishers in the country and is designed to pay respect to the importance of the farming and fishing industry in the socio-economic growth of Ghana.”

This year’s, 39th observance, will go down in the Day’s history as the year when remarkable innovations were introduced and I suggest that recognition of the Bomaa Paradise Choir should be part of that story.

A striking innovation in the format, as reported by the Daily Graphic of November 29, is that instead of the standard NFD open-air durbar, the climax will be an indoor awards banquet. Also, ahead of the Day, in Accra, a five-day agricultural fair, ‘Agrifest Ghana 2023’ has been taking place in the Ministries enclave.

As stated, ‘Ghana akuafo’ is credited to the Bomaa Paradise Choir, based in the Tano District of the Ahafo Region; composed and arranged by Yaw Badu of Bomaa, sadly now deceased. Conceivably, many people know the song well enough to hum it, or even sing and dance along, but how many know that it’s a composition of the little-known BPC?

GHANA AKUAFO LYRICS (my translation).
Ghana akuafo e (hail to Ghanaian farmers)!
Yɛmamo amo o (We say congrats to you)!
Yɛma mo ayikoo, ayee! (We say well done! to you)
Mo ayɛbi o (You deserve commendation)
Mo ama aduane aba (Thanks to you, there is plenty of food)
Mo ama sika aba (Thanks to you there is money)
Ɔman yi yie yɔ gyina moso. (The development of the country depends on you)
Ɔman yi nkɔso gyina moso (The progress of the country depends on you)
Twedianpɔn Nyame nhyira mo (May the good Lord richly bless you)
Na ɔma mo ahoɔden (And give you strength) …

Fittingly, every year, it is the melody the MoFA uses to announce the NFD observance. Yet, by a strange omission, it seems that the Ministry has never thought to acknowledge the BPC, and I suggest that it is time this oversight was corrected.

Although the BPC is by no means an agricultural enterprise, it deserves to be seen as an NFD partner because ‘Ghana akuafo’, has clearly become its unofficial anthem.

National Farmers Day was instituted in 1985 by the then Provisional National Defence Council, with Flt-Lt Jerry John Rawlings as Head of State. The inaugural one was marked in Osino, Eastern Region, since when it has become a ‘movable feast’.

Interestingly, whereas at Osino, the Best Farmer’s prize package included “two machetes, a pair of Wellington boots and a preset radio”, over the years the prizes have been vastly scaled up and from 2002 when the Overall National Farmer received a three-bedroom house, that has continued since then, says the MoFA.

When he launched the 2023 event on September 27, Deputy Agric Minister Mr Yaw Frempong Addo, who is also chair of the Planning Committee, stated that the Government is creating “the necessary environment through policy interventions and other incentives to motivate farmers to play their role more effectively”.

Well, surely, long ago, the BPC demonstrated its appreciation of the role of the nation’s farmers, and their contribution to the country’s economy, factors which doubtless inspired Mr Badu to compose the tribute song.

To my mind, the song’s importance comes second after other patriotic songs, such as the National Anthem and ‘Yɛn ara asaase ni’. Of course, the name of Philip Gbeho is known to every schoolchild as the composer of the original Ghana National Anthem; just as they know the name of Ephraim Amu as the composer of the second National Anthem, ‘Yɛn ara asaase ni’. But what about ‘Ghana akuafo’?

It’s unfortunate that there has been no recognition for the marvellous, catchy tribute song to farmers even when farmers are being celebrated. My research didn’t reveal that the MoFA has ever given an award to the BPC, not even a mention on the Ministry’s website!

Indeed, I would love to be proven wrong if such an honor has ever been given to the BPC. In my view, that song more than deserves to be on the MoFA website, along with the information about National Farmers Day.

Ghana needs to make it a policy to give credit where it is due, even if it’s viewed as only a modest contribution to the national effort. After all, every little bit counts to complete the total picture!

In fact, as their song is used every year, the recognition should be yearly because it, too, represents the annual national thank you to farmers for their contribution to our survival, especially to the national economy.

If the Bomaa Choir is still in existence, my suggestion is that in the future they should be invited to perform at NFD, as part of the opening and closing acts.

I pray that the new Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr Bryan Acheampong, will give favourable consideration to the suggestion and correct the omission this year. At the very least a mention in a speech will serve as an inspiration to the BPC, and others. And better still if there is a special award for the choir.
In my opinion, recognition of the Bomaa Paradise Choir is long, long overdue! Though Mr Badu is no more, the choir can still be honoured. It’s never too late to mend!

(ajoayeboahafari@yahoo.com)