The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has revealed that some 36 factories under his flagship programme, One District, One Factory (1D1F), are at various stages of completion and would soon be operational.
This forms part of the government's plan to set up, at least, one factory at each of the over 200 districts of the country to add value to the local raw materials, which will translate into job creation for the teeming unemployed youth.
There have been several reports, especially from those the President call 'professional naysayers', that this vision was not feasible, but only a vote-buying gimmick, rooting their opinions in the supposed broke economy of the country.
However, the government announced it would undertake the project in partnership with the private sector, by way of guaranteeing loans at the bank for interested investors to set up viable businesses at the localities.
After a year in office, some people still saw the vision as bleak, especially as there were little or no pageantry on sod-cuttings, apart from the Ekumfi pineapple processing factory, a project this paper reported was also ongoing.
Giving a hint on what could be termed as a progress report on the 1D1F, President Akufo-Addo said: “So far, 36 factories are at various stages of being operationalised, which will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs.” He was speaking at this year's Asafotufiami festival, celebrated by the people of Ada in the Greater Accra Region over the weekend.
The theme for the celebration; 'Mobilising local resources towards development and growth of the traditional area,' President Akufo-Addo said it was appropriate as it reinforces his government's vision for a Ghana Beyond Aid.
According to the President, the New Patriotic Party has not done well in Ada, but he was determined to change the narrative, as his government was working to bring development to all parts of the country.
He said the government is collaborating with the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the necessary investment was secured to develop a modern salt industry in Ada.
He charged the Ada East and West assemblies, and the Ada traditional Council, to develop a strategic plan towards exploiting the vast potentials of the area, to ensure the residents benefitted from the local resources.
Juxtaposing the theme with the decision of the government to make Senior High School free, President Akufo-Addo stated that mobilising the country's resources could be significantly enhanced when there is an educated workforce.
He reiterated that the issues surrounding the implementation of the policy would be resolved by the government, citing the need for the double intake system as a means of absorbing the outrageous number of new enrolments this year.
He indicated that the government had taken that step because it does not want to leave any qualified student behind, adding that the double intake would be for specific schools, and not all.
“This system would not destroy our educational system, as the professional naysayers would want you to believe,” he asserted
The President said he was inspired by a famous Chinese quote, which says a journey of a thousand miles begins with a first step.
“We have taken that first step in Ghana, and we shall deal with the challenge,” he added.
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