He built the roof first before laying the foundation – Akufo-Addo punches Mahama
Heavyweights in the two major political parties in Ghana as they crisscross the country to touch base with the people are utilizing the opportunity to take a dig a each other.
This time around the bone of contention is the Komenda Sugar Factory which was built during the Mahama led administration and according to President Akufo-Addo, the Komenda Sugar Factory was not functioning when he came into office as President of Ghana. Insisting that the factory had collapsed.
President Akufo-Addo then quizzed why the factory was not being operationalized if it was that important for the erstwhile Mahama administration.
Asked about the plans his government has for the factory during an interview on Cape Coast-based Eagle FM on Monday, October 18 as part of his tour of the Central Region, he revealed his hard working Trade and Industry Minister is putting things in place to get the factory operationalized.
President Akufo-Addo took a swipe at Mr John Mahama saying “We are told by him that, that is not his way of looking at things he will build the roof, and once the roof has been built then he will come down and then lay the foundation. You know that a house that is built this way will collapse, just as Komenda collapsed
“The way forward is what Alan Kyeremateng, the very dynamic and energetic Minister of Trade and Industry has been trying to do. First of all, our inheritance, a lot of money has gone into the Komenda initiative. It is important for us and yet nothing is happening, it was a stands still when we came into office.”
The president’s comments come just four days after former President Mahama replied to his critics who claim he built the Sugar Factory without providing raw materials to feed it.
According to Mr Mahama, there was an arrangement in place to provide raw materials for the factory.
The 2020 flag bearer for the National Democratic Congress defended himself by stating that he studied economics in School hence, was fully aware that a factory could not be established without making raw materials for it.
He further explained that the Indian government had asked for the factory to be built and later apply for funds to support the production of raw materials.
The Akufo-Addo administration had accused Mr Mahama of establishing the factory without making plans for raw materials.
But speaking on Friday, October 15, Mr Mahama said “When this government came they said the sugar wasn’t their priority and so they abandoned the 26million dollars the Indian government asked them to apply for.
”They didn’t apply and so they left it and the factory is just there.
“Do you think I am a fool to build a factory and I won’t make provision for raw materials? I am not that foolish, I read economics and so I knew what the vision was.”
The $35 million sugar factory, built with support from an Indian EXIM Bank facility, has not worked since its commissioning in 2016.
The factory was revamped to revive the local production of sugar with the aim of reducing the importation of the commodity.
By: Stella Annan | myactiveonline.com Twitter @activetvgh
