Revamp Abandoned Nkrumah Factories - KNUST Student's Parliament

Students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) want the government to revamp abandoned factories built by the first post-colonial government.

The Student Parliament believes it will complement the One District, One Factory policy and other job creation interventions by the government aimed at reducing graduate unemployment.

Members also suggest it is a more effective way to remember Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah than the observance of a memorial day.

The students say efforts at reactivating some factories credited to the first President stalled due to what they consider political interests.

Citing the Kumasi Jute and the Komenda Sugar factories as examples, they urged the government to factor their proposal to its industrialisation agenda.

Speaker of the KNUST Student Parliament, Frank Blay, believes the revamping of the abandoned factories will restore lost confidence in political leaders.

“A lot of the industries that Nkrumah left behind have either been divestiture or collapsed. This is a country we live in, where legacies are left to rot. These industries when revived can create employment for the youth. Now undergraduates are afraid of leaving school due to joblessness,” he said.

The students also called on the government to follow examples of developed countries by making Dr Nkrumah’s birthplace a tourist site.

Mr Blay believes it will boost the local economy of Nkroful and drive national development.

“If Osagyefo’s body had not been exhumed from his place of birth, we believe the place would have seen a lot of development because tourist will be going to the place. At least it will be a revenue generating-venture for the people,” he emphasised.