Govt to revive Bonsa Tyre, Aboso Glass factories - Akufo-Addo

The Bonsa Tyre and the Aboso Glass factories in the Western Region are to be revived under the government’s one-district, one-factory programme, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said.

Additionally, he said, a fertiliser plant would be established at Jomoro, also in the region, through the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) and the Ghana Gas Company Limited (Ghana Gas) to create more job opportunities for the people.

President Nana Akufo-Addo was speaking at separate durbars at Tarkwa and Jomoro as part of his three-day tour of the Western Region last Tuesday.  

Responding to a request by the acting President of the Apinto Traditional Council, Nana Adu Panyin II, to  him to revive the Bonsa Tyre and the Aboso Glass factories at the durbar at Tarkwa, the President said the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, was working tirelessly to revive the two defunct companies.

He said the Bonsa Tyre Factory in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem municipality had so far received two offers from foreign investors to revive the previously productive tyre manufacturing entity, while efforts were underway to revive the Aboso Glass Factory in the Prestea-Huni Valley District.

Requests

The chiefs also appealed to the President to consider the rehabilitation of the Agona Nkwanta-Tarkwa road, which was constructed during former President J.A. Kufuor's administration, and ensure that the traditional area benefited from the one million dollars per constituency initiative of the government.

Other demands the chiefs made were the payment of royalties and the implementation of alternative sources of livelihood for illegal miners.

The President expressed appreciation to the people for voting massively for him and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to win the 2016 general election.

Free SHS

He said education was key to the development of any nation, hence his decision to make free senior high school (SHS) the flagship of his administration.

He said the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT ) in Tarkwa had been tasked to play a key role in the mining sector for the benefit of the West African sub-region and the rest of Africa.

"Mining has been our legacy since the colonial days, but I have sworn an oath to protect our legacy of river bodies, forest resources and land in general and the environment.

"In the past, we used to drink from Birim and other rivers, but now they have all been polluted and so I will not condone any improper way of doing things," he stated.

President Nana Akufo-Addo said the Multi-lateral Integrated Mining Programme at UMaT would be responsible for small-scale mining activities in the country, adding: “That programme is reserved for Ghanaians and not for foreigners and this understanding should prevail."

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Bureaucracy/debt

Responding to some of the concerns of the chiefs, the President said there was much bureaucracy in the disbursement of royalties and gave an assurance that the Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Mr Kwesi Dzamesi, was working towards the prompt payment of royalties to deserving chiefs.

Benso road

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Tarkwa-Nsuaem, Mr George Mireku Duker, reminded the President of the deplorable nature of the Benso road, saying the town was the traditional capital of Wassa Fiase.

Jomoro

Addressing a durbar of the chiefs and people at Jomoro, President Nana Akufo-Addo said the establishment of the fertiliser plant would be in fulfilment of his pledge to set up a factory in the district under the government’s one-district, one-factory initiative.

With Jomoro set to be upgraded from a district to a municipality in September, he said, the inability of the assembly to approve a district chief executive on three separate occasions might hamper the upgrading of the district.

“I am appealing to you — help me by approving the new nominee I am proposing as DCE for Jomoro. I can assure you that this nominee is resourceful, hardworking and can do the job. We cannot have a municipality which does not even have a DCE,” he said.

On the prudent use of the country’s oil revenue, President Nana Akufo-Addo said the government had resolved to ensure that oil revenue did not find its way into the pockets of individuals, to the detriment of the interest of society.

Touching on the dwindling fortunes of the cocoa sector, he said the policies and programmes instituted by former President Kufuor led to an increase in cocoa production to one million metric tonnes in 2010/2011.

However, cocoa production, he said, had since declined, with the 2015/2016 crop season recording a production of 778,000 metric tonnes. 

“My government is going to increase cocoa production again to one million metric tonnes and increase it further to 1.5 million tonnes in the course of my mandate. We will also ensure that cocoa farmers gain their pride of place in our society. We will make the cultivation of cocoa a source of gainful employment once again,” he said.

Even though the government was saddled with huge debts, President Akufo-Addo told the chiefs and people of Jomoro that he remained unfazed and would put in place the necessary measures to improve the living conditions of the people.