‘Stop lying; your NPP govt has no plans to operationalize Komenda Sugar Factory’ — Oppong Nkrumah told

Former Secretary of the Komenda Sugar Project Management Board, Ransford Chatman Vanni-Amoah, has accused the Akufo-Addo government of deliberately misleading the public about its intentions for the Komenda Sugar Factory.

In a statement seen by this portal, Mr. Vanni-Amoah refuted claims by Minister for Works and Housing Kojo Oppong Nkrumah that the opposition minority in parliament has been obstructing government's efforts to seek tax waivers that would allow the import of semi-processed sugar to make the factory operational.

"He [Oppong Nkrumah] deliberately lied to the Chiefs of Komenda Traditional Area. There is nothing before Parliament as far as the Komenda Sugar Factory is concerned," said Mr. Vanni-Amoah.

"The NPP Government has no plan to make the sugar factory operational, but to keep deceiving the people of the area and gives excuses since it assumed office,” he added.

He further alleged that mishandling of the project since 2017 has caused "financial loss to the State due to lack of serious attention to the factory, loss of time, inefficiency and improper decision-making."

Mr. Vanni-Amoah urged the youth of Komenda to take action because the ruling party do not have their interests at heart.

“They don’t mean well for the good people of Komenda. They never liked the idea of the NDC government’s decision to put this factory at Komenda and they have evil agenda against the factory,” he noted.

Read the full statement below:
For Immediate Release
15/04/24
*KOMENDA SUGAR FACTORY: OPPONG NKRUMAH MUST STOP PEDDLING FALSEHOOD*

The Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, is blaming the Minority in Parliament for frustrating the operationalisation of the Komenda Sugar Factory.

According to him, the Minority is opposing government's efforts to seek tax waivers for the Komenda Sugar Development Company Limited to import semi-processed sugar into the country to make the factory operational.

He has appealed to the Komenda Traditional Council to engage with the Minority to allow the tax waiver in order to commence operations at the factory.

He frivolously made this assertion during his recent visit to the area to inspect the coastal defense project.

I want to unequivocally state that he deliberately lied to the Chiefs of Komenda Traditional Area. There is nothing before Parliament as far as the Komenda Sugar Factory is concerned. Although there is no request for tax waivers before Parliament but the government's decision to import semi-processed is economically nonsensical and would impoverish the local farmers and the youth as that strategy is contrary to the rationale behind that factory's establishment of import substitution.

He said he is well informed about the moves to make the sugar factory operational and I would like to ask few questions that demand answers;

1. Is he aware that the previous administration developed 125 acre nursery plantation which the seed canes ought to be transplanted onto 10,000 acres by February, 2017 but his government sold the overgrown sugarcanes on that 125 acres to akpeteshie distillers due to his insensitive government's unwillingness to operationalise the factory?

2. Is he also aware that his government has signed a contractual agreement with West Africa Agro-Tech Company Limited (WAATCO) to manage to factory on behalf of the Government of Ghana for a period of 10 years?

3. Is he aware that WAATCO is paid US$50,000 every month for the management services?

4. Has K. T. Hammond informed him that he wants to lease the factory to WAATCO?

The NPP Government has no plan to make the sugar factory operational, but to keep deceiving the people of the area and gives excuses since it assumed office. In this situation, the government should be charged for willfully causing financial loss to the state for a deliberate decision in allowing the state-of-the art investment to go waste without any justifiable reason.

They have committed financial loss to the State due to lack of serious attention to the factory, loss of time, inefficiency and improper decision-making.

And also allowing the national asset to deliberately debilitate, so as to blame their political opponent.

Just as I have always done in the face of wicked propaganda, lies, and smear campaign against the John Mahama-constructed Komenda Sugar Factory, I once again, strongly reiterate that the Komenda Sugar Factory as bequeathed to the Akufo Addo/ Bawumia led administration was always viable, economically productive and overly suitable to provide jobs and its related benefits to the good people of Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, Central Region and Ghana as a whole.

They don’t mean well for the good people of Komenda. They never liked the idea of the NDC government’s decision to put this factory at Komenda and they have evil agenda against the factory.

The youth of Komenda must rise against the deception of the government because the future is now.

Thank you.
_Signed_
Ransford Chatman Vanni-Amoah
Former Member/ Secretary -
Komenda Sugar Project Management Board
0209909054