MP for Ekumfi, Francis Kingsley Ato Codjoe says work on the juice factory would be completed in 2018
Member of Parliament for Ekumfi in the Central Region, Francis Kingsley Ato Codjoe has described as ‘noises’ assertions that government has abandoned the One-District-One-Factory project recently launched in Ekumfi.
The One-District-One-Factory policy was officially launched by the President in August this year to drive industrialization across the country.
A sod was therefore cut for the construction of the Ekumfi Fruits and Juices factory, which is expected to create over 4,000 direct jobs and also employ some 5,000 outgrowers.
Members of the opposition NDC have cast doubts on government’s commitment in delivering on this much-publicized campaign promise.
NDC Communicator Chief Biney has described the juice factory as a “grasscutter breeding house” and expressed disgust over the state of the factory, accusing the government of neglecting the factory, which he said is now a “playing ground” for animals.
But the Deputy Minister of Fisheries, Ato Codjoe, told Bright Kwesi Asempa, host of Onua FM morning show ‘Yen Nsem Pa’ that the juice factory would be completed in December 2018.
He pointed out that the government did not want to repeat the mistakes of the erstwhile NDC administration, it is making sure that the necessary arrangements are in place, citing, for instance, the availability of raw material to feed the factory.
This, he said, would ensure that if the factory eventually takes off, it will not be hindered by excuses of unavailability of outgrowers or raw material.
“The sod cutting was in two-fold, one for the factory construction and the other for the outgrower scheme. So far what we have done is to put the outgrowers together, and we are looking for over 2000 of them. Phase one of that is to register people who are already having the farms, and we have registered all those people which in next two weeks we will commission them officially.
“So, if someone is somewhere making noise, such people should be ignored,” Francis Kingsley Ato Codjoe stressed.
He alleged that the only wish of the NDC in opposition “is to see the Ekumfi 1D1F project end up like the Komenda Sugar factory which they (NDC) spent $35 million constructing it but cannot produce a spoon of sugar.”
The Ekumfi MP said government has already finished with talks with China to supply the machines for the building of the factory, adding that in December 2018, the factory will be completed and start commercial production in January 2019.
“As for the NDC, they can make noise, but they should be assured that Ekumfi will soon benefit from the one district one factory project and the youth in the area shall have work to do”, he concluded.
