President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday inaugurated a GH¢10 million a cassava and yam processing factory, CH Global Limited, at Adonkwanta in the Krachi East District of the Oti Region under the government’s 1-District-1-Factory initiative.
A wholly Ghanaian-owned establishment, the facility is projected to process an average of 120 tubers of yam per hour, resulting in 60 bags of processed frozen yam chips and yam balls while the cassava processing line of the factory will produce cassava fries and snacks and flour with a capacity process of 700 metric tonnes of cassava per year.
With funding from Exim Bank, the factory would give direct employment to about 50 people ranging from management to production workers, technicians, store keepers at the initial stages of the factory’s commencement.
President Akufo-Addo, commended the management and traditional rulers of the area for their unflinching support for the project as well as Ghana EXIM Bank for providing the loan facility for the establishment of this state-of-the-art factory.
According to the President, as of September 2021, 278 1D1F projects were at various stages of implementation under the initiative, saying, out of the number, 104 were currently in operation, 150 under construction and the remaining 24 at the mobilisation stage.
On behalf of the traditional leaders, Nana Obeng Acheampong I, chief of Adonkwanta, praised the government for bringing the first ever 1D1F initiative to the community.
He said the factory, which started operating in 2018 would not only open up the community, but also give employment to majority of the youth from Adonkwanta.
Earlier, Mr Frank Afari Ankamah, Director, Business Development and Promotion of CH Global Limited, thanked the chiefs and people in the region towards their massive support for the project to be completed within the two years period.
The 1D1F initiative, according to him, was the vision of President Nana Akufo-Addo to change the nature of Ghana’s economy from one which is dependent on import and export of raw material to one which is focused on manufacturing, value addition and export of processed goods.
“These raw materials are mostly found in the districts which would have otherwise gone waste,” he said.
At Dambai President Akufo-Addo granted an interview at Kano FM radio station where he thanked the chiefs and people in the region for the support given to the NPP leading to their victory in the December 2020 election.
He also inspected the newly constructed office complex for use by the Oti Coordinating Council.
Continuing his tour, the President met with the chiefs of Krachi and the President of the Oti Regional House of Chiefs, where he mentioned that, although he had not won any parliamentary seat in the 2020 election from the region, he was satisfied with the presidential results.
The President of the Oti Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Mprah Besemuna III, in a speech appealed for urban water system for the region, bridge on the Oti Lake, upgrading of Dambai College of Education into a technical university among others.
Responding to his requests, the President Akufo-Addo pledged to address all the demands made, adding that, despite that NPP has no parliamentary seat, he would develop Oti Region and hopeful that they would vote for the NPP in the 2024 election.
FROM KAFUI GATI, ADONKWANTA
