Debts, ill-fated policies collapsed Komenda Sugar Factory - Akufo-Addo

The president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says a chain of debt together with ill-fated policies had been the twine-bane of the collapse of the Komenda Sugar Factory.

According to the president, the regime of former president, John Dramani Mahama who built the factory, did not put in place any feasible policy that was supposed to operationalise the factory.

Speaking at a durbar of chiefs and the people of Komenda, in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Municipality on the first day of his four-day tour of the region, he said, he only inherited debt swallowed and idle factory.

His administration, he said, was therefore looking for a strategic investor who could revamp the factory and breathe a new life into it.

He said, “the acreage of land we needed for the cultivation of the sugarcane as well as the type of sugarcane we needed to plant were all not properly planned”.

Government, he said was doing all the necessary organisations which will lead to getting a strategic investor to partner government to operationalise the factory.

“We have done a lot of consultations and it has become necessary for the Ministry of Trade and Industry to look for a strategic investor to come and divest here”. He explained.

“As I speak we have not found one but we are still searching so you will hear a refreshing news on it from me soon”. He assured the chief of Komenda.

President visits Komenda Sugar Factory

The president and his entourage later visited the premises of the “defunct” factory where he was briefed by Mr Douglas Mensah, the Managing Director of the factory.

Apart from non-availability of raw material to feed the factory which is a major factor militating against the operation of the factory, he also cited physical flaws as part of the problems.

Though the factory was constructed to crush about 1,250 tonnes of sugarcane per day to produce high grained sugar for local consumption, it has become idle since it was test ran about two years ago.

Komenda Manhen grateful to government

The Omanhen of Komenda Traditional Area, Nana KojoKru II praised the president for the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy.

According to Nana Kru, the “Free SHS” policy has not brought just great relief to parents across the country but would also lead to a high level of literacy rate in the country.

He, however, made a passionate appeal to the president to as a matter of urgency, construct a landing bay at Komenda to aide fishing activities in the town.

“Our fishermen travel to Elmina, Apam, Shama, Sekondi, Axim and other places because we don’t have a safe landing bay”. Nana Kru stressed.



This situation, he added, negatively affected the town and school people as their mothers always travel to join their fathers leaving them (children) behind.

President Akufo-Addo visited Petersfield and Rey Ltd which is a Citrus Factory under the One District One Factory concept at Yesunkwa near Atabaadze.

The Petersfield and Rey Citrus Factory which would be expected to provide ready market for citrus farmers within the KEEA Municipality, is nearing completion.

As part of the first-day tour of the region, the president addressed a durbar at Elmina which was attended by the Omanhen of Edina, Nana Kodwo Conduah VI.

Addressing a large gathering of people, President Akufo-Addo mentioned that his government was committed to implementing policies that would improve the lives of Ghanaians.

At the durbar, the minister of tourism, Catherine Afeku presented a cheque containing an amount of GH¢7,853.00 to the Omanhen of Edina, Nana Kodwo Conduah.

The amount, she mentioned, represented five per cent of monies accrued from the tourism activities within Elmina.

President Akufo-Addo later in the day cut sod for the construction of Elmina Heritage Bay which would be a tourism enclave, to end the first day of the tour.

The second day of the tour took president Nana Addo to the Gomoa West district where he conducted inspections at the Potato Chips and Bread Factory and a 300-acre potato farm under “1D1F” at Gomoa Bewadze.



President Akufo-Addo officially commissioned a 20 mega-watts Solar Farm at Gomoa Onyaadzee where he mentioned that IPP agreement in the future would be done through competitive bidding.

This, he said, would ensure value for money explaining that most of the IPP agreements signed by the previous government in the heat of the energy crises did not give value for money.

Rounding up the tour for the second day, the president climaxed his activities in the district with a durbar of Chiefs and People of Gomoa Akyempim and Ajumako Traditional Areas at Apam, the Gomoa West District capital.

The Omanhen of Gomoah Ajumako, Obrempong Nyanful Krampah XI noted that their roads were in deplorable states.

He added that the nature of the roads linking towns and villages within the traditional were such that they could force a pregnant woman to deliver prematurely.

He therefore, appealed to the president to consider the reconstruction of their roads adding that the police service should be equipped to the sophisticated nature of armed robbery in recent times.

President Akufo-Addo hinted that over four thousand people would be recruited into the Ghana Police Service to augment their strength.

“We are supplying over one thousand new vehicles to the Police Service in Ghana to make the police mobile. 200 are already here”, he disclosed.

President Nana Addo added: “We have to make sure that our police service is properly looked after, properly resourced and properly strengthened”.

The penultimate tour took the president to Agona Swedru Methodist Church in the morning where fellowship before addressing a durbar in his honour.