Assembly members of the Weija Gbawe Municipal have made a passionate appeal to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to personally intervene in the Empire Cement Ghana Limited (ECF) and Panbrose Salt impasse to enable the company to begin operations.
According to them, there are hidden faces bent on stopping the cement factory from commencing business under the guise of fear of pollution.
The Assembly members argued it is important to protect investors and not to sabotage investment that would help reduce the unemployment rate within the Weija Gbawe catchment area.
At a press conference on Thursday, October 14, 2021, to draw attention of the government to the matter, the Assembly members claim evidence depicts the issue as a clear trade war against the company and has nothing to do with pollution.
Empire Cement Ghana Limited, they said, was established under the flagship One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative and duly registered at the Registrar General’s Department for the purpose of manufacturing cement paper bags as well as bagging of cement, and subsequently registered with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and the 1D1F Secretariat at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
The Assembly members disclosed that the company heeded government’s call for industrialization and its associated job creation for the teeming youth by committing over US$350 million to an eco-friendly cement bagging factory, which is 85% complete.
“The factory is envisaged to create about 13,000 direct and indirect jobs. The sod-cutting ceremony of the factory was held on 11th June 2020 led by the former Greater Accra Regional Minister, Honourable, Ishmael Ashittey, Honourable Tina Naa Ayeley Mensah, Member of Parliament for Weija Gbawe Constituency and Honourable Patrick Kwesi Kumor the Municipal Chief Executive as well as Chiefs and opinion leaders drawn from the length and breadth of the municipality,” they said.
According to them, issues raised against the cement factory from the onset by Panbros Salt Industries Ltd had been claims of land ownership where the company was situated.
Panbros, they said, realizing ECF has the title deeds to the land and imminent defeat staring them in the face changed tactics and threw in a perceived pollution concern that may result during the operations of the company.
“Empire Cement has assured all stakeholders, especially we the assembly members and residents of McCarthy Hill, Gbawe and its environs that it would operate a factory that would stay within the tolerable environmental limit.”
“The essence of environmental studies is for cordial coexistence of human activities and nature, all possible concerns which may occur have been mitigated as per the Environmental Impact Assessment report,” the stated.
The Assembly members noted that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in May 2020 granted approval for commencement of groundwork at the site while the Ghana Highways Authority has also given a permit on the traffic impact assessment and design to ECF.
They indicated it was, therefore, such a huge surprise when the EPA in June directed the construction to stop and for the installed work at the factory to be de-commissioned and a penalty of GH¢180,000 paid.
They accused the Executive Director of the EPA of taking sides in the matter rather than following laid down procedures to evaluate the construction of the company and the possible effect of its operation.
The Assembly members lamented the development is an affront to Foreign Direct Investment and the effort to ensure development of the country.
ECF, they said, will offer quality and affordable cement to the Ghanaian public as well as create numerous job opportunities for the teeming youth.
They, therefore, pleaded with the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology to speed up investigations being conducted by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Environment to enable Empire Cement to start full operation.
Source: Mypublisher24.com