President John Dramani Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has called for a full audit of the Buipe Shea Nut Factory, which is currently not in operation.
The factory, established in 2012 through a joint venture between the Government of Ghana and Sysgate Brazil Limited, was designed to add value to shea nut products and create employment opportunities in the Savannah region, particularly for women involved in shea nut harvesting.
According to President Mahama, the Addo-Addo-led government, which took over in 2016, not only spent the factory’s capital but also sold off the stock of shea nuts that could have been processed to generate revenue.
He accused the previous administration and the management of the US$10 million agribusiness facility of squandering the capital meant to sustain the factory’s operations.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee, and Shea Nut Farmers Association (COCOSHE), President Mahama called for an audit to identify those responsible for the factory’s mismanagement and ensure that the culprits are held accountable.
“The factory was running well. It had capital, it had a stock of shea nuts, it was processing when the change of government happened. The new administration, new management were sent to the factory. They did not only spend the capital but also the stock of shea nuts that they could have processed to make more money,” he said.
He added, “I believe that if that factory was private, it wouldn’t have been handled the way it was; it would still be running. So I agree with the secretary that we must audit that factory, identify those who are responsible for causing this financial loss to the state, and bring them to book.”
SP/MA
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