President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed satisfaction at the work so far undertaken on the construction of a GH¢36 million watermelon juice factory at Walewale in the North East Region.
During a visit to the facility yesterday, as part of his tour of the North East Region, President Akufo-Addo lauded the work carried out by Champion Foods and Beverages Limited, a wholly owned Ghanaian beverage manufacturing, distribution and marketing company.
The President was informed that the company is employing the use of PET line technology, as compared to the Tetra Packs technology, and project is being financed with a facility from the Ghana EXIM Bank.
With on some minor construction works left to be undertaken, President Akufo-Addo was informed that the overall project is 90 per cent complete, with offices and staff accommodation at 80 per cent completion, while plant, equipment and machinery are all on site ready to be installed.
It is expected that, upon completion, the company will create direct employment opportunities for 300 Ghanaians and over indirect jobs for over 2,000 people, including farmers and aggregators, to be engaged in an out-grower scheme, covering parts of North East, Northern and other regions of the country.
Tamana rice factory
The President also visited Tamanaa Company Ltd., a rice farming and processing company located in Nasia, near Walewale, which is also operating under Government’s 1-District-1-Factory initiative.
As a result of the support received from the government, the company has been able to expand its operations, adding a 250-metric ton per day rice milling facility to its already existing 40 metric ton per day plant.
So far, some 148 workers have been employed, with the company generating a turnover of some $1.5 million annually. The company markets 60 per cent of its rice as parboiled and the remaining 40 per cent as non-parboiled under the brand name Nasia Star Rice.
Tamanaa Company currently engages over 4,000 rice farmers and aggregators operating in the West Mamprusi, East Mamprusi, Savulugu, Nanton and Mamprugu-Moagduri districts.
Nayiri commends President
During the tour, the President also paid a courtesy call on the Overlord of Mamprugu, the Nayiri, Naa Bohogu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga, who applauded him for seeing to the construction and completion of several projects, which had been on the wish list of the chiefs and people of Mamprugu for many years.
According to the Nayiri, the impact of the work undertaken by the President has been felt by the entire country, especially the people of the North East region.
He cited several town water projects across the region, which have been commissioned, the asphalting of the Nalerigu, Gambaga, and Walewale town roads, as well as the ongoing construction of Wulugu-Kpasenkpe road, the Nasia-Kparigu road, the Nalerigu-Bunkpurugu road, the Nalerigu-Gbintiri road and Gbintiri-Chereponi Road, all in the North East Region, are examples of projects undertaken by the Akufo-Addo government.
“The above-mentioned projects that are being witnessed have been on the request list of Mamprugu for years, which eluded and, undoubtedly, passed on from government to government. Certainly, we owe you tons of gratitude,” the Nayiri added.
Pwalugu dam
The Nayiri also expressed gratitude to President Akufo-Addo for the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam and Irrigation project, which he described as the “Super Game Changer Project in the North.” The project is expected to result in the provision of electricity and 25,000 hectares of irrigation facilities.
“The dam, I also understand, will serve as a receptacle to collect all water up stream, which has been the source of the region’s perennial flooding,” he added.
He also touched on the pro-poor policies implemented by the government of President Akufo-Addo since 2017. They include the Free Senior High School policy, Planting for Food and Jobs, One-constituency-One Ambulance, the expansion of the National School Feeding Programme and the introduction of the Nation Builders Corps.
The chief noted that these policies are “well thought-out and targeted policies that are aimed at reducing poverty,” adding: “Ours is a young region on which these policies perfectly fit.”
The Nayiri thanked President Akufo-Addo for the appointment of Hajia Alima Mahama to the high office of Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America.
“We are forever most grateful. Your appointment of Hon. Mustapha Ussif as Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Hajia Abudu Zuweira Lariba as Deputy Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection is being highly appreciated,” he added.
