First Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party in the Central Region, Ekow Ewusi, has bemoaned the slow progress in the revitalization of Komenda sugar factory, leaving many to languish in an economic situation that has been described by many commentators as worsening.
The company which has existed for decades, was recommissioned in 2016 by former President John Dramani Mahama but was shut down shortly after the current government, New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, assumed power.
The sugar factory was scheduled to resume operation by end of April 2022, according to President Akufo-Addo, when a delegation of chiefs and elders from the Komenda Traditional Area paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House.
“On the sugar factory, some civil works are being done here and hopefully by the end of March [2020]. The Indians are in and doing some work and so by April [2022] production would have begun at the sugar factory” Nana Akufo-Addo said.
However, that has not materialised.
Two weeks ago, the Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen paid a working visit to the factory where he assured the residents of the region of the government’s commitment to ensuring that the facility is revived to provide socio-economic support to them.
Though it came as a piece of good news to Mr. Ekow Ewusi, he expressed concerns about the delays in revamping the factory to create jobs for the teeming youth of the region and the country at large.
According to him, many of the youth have long-awaited job opportunities in the factory, but since it has been non-functional, they have resorted to fishing and other menial jobs for sustenance.
“When you talk of institutions which have contributed immensely to the intellectual contribution of this country is the Komenda training college. This college has trained so many teachers who have come out to train so many Ghanaians.
“Right now, when you visit the Komenda there are many youths with degrees, but apart from fishing and herbs production, there are no more jobs, then you have this big factory which has become a white elephant,” he said on the Anopa Bofo morning show on Angel 102.9 FM which was also live on Agel TV on Monday, May 16, 2022.
According to the NPP executive, it does not make sense to commission the factory and a day after, close it down for no reason.
“What went into that thinking? As an indigene of the central region, all that has happened, I don’t want to go there; what I want is for the factory to work. Whoever contributed to that decision, may God forgive their sins,” he said.
Meanwhile, the factory is expected to create some 7,300 direct and indirect jobs for the Ghanaian youth, while crashing 1,250 tonnes of sugarcane daily.
Prior to the closure of the company, it had about 600 workers but was downsized to 280, due to the high cost of power, pilfering and challenges facing the company administratively according to a Ghana News Agency report.
