A former Secretary to the Board of the Komenda Sugar Factory in the Central Region, Ransford Chatman Vanni-Amoah has alleged that the Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyeremanten sold 125-acres sugarcane farm meant for the Factory to Akpeteshie (local alcoholic drink) distillers.
According to him, the NPP government upon assuming office abandoned the project and the sugarcane nursery plantation was left to overgrow due to a lack of political will to operationalize the factory.
“Before the loan of US$125 million was approved by the Parliament, the Ministry of Trade and Industry acting on behalf of the Government of Ghana entered into an agreement with Seftech India Private Ltd to pre-finance the development of 125-acre nursery plantation which ought to be transplanted onto the 2,000-acre farms by January 2017.”
He further alleged that “In July 2018 Mr Kyerematen sold the 125-acre sugarcanes to Akpeteshie distillers.”
The President during his tour of the Central Region recently stated that the decision by Mr John Mahama to build the Komenda Sugar factory, without first establishing a sugarcane plantation, betrays every principle of construction.
“It is like building a house, and say you are going to start from the roof before you have a foundation. How does the house get built? You going to start from the roof, when you haven’t built the foundation?” President Akufo-Addo asked.
However, the Former Management Board Member disclosed that the NDC administration left raw materials to operationalize the Komenda Factory. “Akufo Addo should ask his minister why Seftech India Private Ltd is demanding judgement debt for the job executed at the farms?” he quizzed.
Mr. Vanni-Amoah stated that if President Akufo Addo is willing to operationalize the factory, he and his minister would not be giving excuses anytime they are asked about the Komenda Sugar Factory.
