The claim by a Regional Member of the NPP communication Team Seidu Gazirey Kamal that the governing New Patriotic Party has provided a modern and running Shea nut processing factory in Paga is false and misleading.
On Monday, September 19, 2022, during ApexnewsGhana’s flagship developmental program dubbed “SPEAKOUT UPPER EAST’, the topic for discussion was centered on the government policy of One District One Factory (1D1F).
Meanwhile, explaining government effort on the 1D1V initiative in the region Mr. Gazirey made the claim that the government has completed a shea nut processing factory in Paga which is currently in use.
According to Mr. Gazirey “When you go to Paga, there is a Shea nut processing factory and I will send you the pictures. Is completed and is in use, when you see the building and the paint, you will say wow, the New Patriotic Party is a party one is supposed to really belong to because, in the history of this country, we have never had a modern and running Shea nut factory like the one in there”. He re-affirmed.
Meanwhile, Apexnewsgh.com checks in Paga after Mr. Gazirey’s claim shows his claims were misleading
Our investigation revealed, that, the Shea nut processing factory he was referring to, was built by a private owner Mr. Clement Ayamga in 2010. The factory is located at Paga Nakolo in Kessena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.
However, during our engagement with Mr. Ayamga, he said: “I actually build my factory during Prof. Mills’s time. I was in the UK and I came down to Ghana in 2010 and then did a Public-Private partnership (PPP) I finished school and was looking for a job and that PPP opportunity came up. I used my own money to build the factory in 2010. Since then, when Mahama took over the whole thing has been dormant and I have been struggling to run the place myself, and you know without support how difficult it is to run a factory like that. It was earmarked in 2018 subsequently”.
“We were invited to a meeting in Kumasi to absorb the NABCO beneficiaries, which i took 12 of them. So, under that program, the project is under 1D1F, to be honest with you. But in 2019, I took a loan of Ghc 200,000 from Ghana Exim Bank before the project was described as 1D1F. So, am paying the loan to Ghana Exim Bank now”. He stressed
He further said, “The 1D1F officials, have been linking with me to see how they can support the place and about ‘3 weeks ago, one Mosi Mohammed visited the factory and later send me some document of financial requirement I need for the place to set up and i filled it and forwarded back to him.
“All they need to do now is to offer me support financially. My brother, I believe in reality, if it is me Clement Ayamga that will sacrifice and bring development to my women because the job am doing is a shea butter factory, why not. I don’t discriminate. I actually believe that whichever government… because this is Kwame Nkurumah ideology and Prof Mills endorsed it”.
“But up till now, I have not received any financial support from them, but they visited me 3 weeks ago and requested for my budget and production capacity”.
Even though there has been an effort to assist the factory owner with some financial support, Mr. Ayamga said he hasn’t heard from 1D1F officials as at the time we are filing this report.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com
For publication please kindly contact us on 0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com
