President Akufo-Addo
President Akufo-Addo is banking his hope on the Atuabo Gas Plant to transform the Ghanaian economy from a raw material producing to an industrialized nation.
He considers the Plant a critical piece of infrastructure that would aid in the transformation of the Ghanaian economy, because “so much of the future of our country is bound up with this plant.”
Reason
He believes that “If indeed, we are going to succeed in being able to transform the nature of the Ghanaian economy, and move it from an agrarian-based economy producing raw materials to an industrial, value-added economy, Atuabo is absolutely critical.”
President Akufo-Addo made this known last Tuesday when he visited the Atuabo Gas Plant to familiarise himself with the operations of the company, on day 2 of his 3-day tour of the Western Region.
Whiles applauding the decision taken by the Ghana National Gas Company to ensure that Ghanaians take over full management and technical operations of the company, President Akufo-Addo was confident that this development would inure to the benefit of the country, and show that Ghanaians are capable when given the opportunity.
The indigenisation of the company’s operations is said to be saving Ghana Gas some $24 million annually in operational and management consultancy services rendered by Sinopec.
Charge
President Akufo-Addo appealed to management of the company to ensure a proper maintenance of the facility.
“One of the problems we have had in our past is that we have been very poor in maintaining things in Ghana. Factories, facilities and roads are established, and within months or a few years, they are deteriorating because there is no culture of maintenance,” he noted.
He urged the chiefs and people of Atuabo to “prevail on Mr. Ben Asante, CEO of Ghana Gas, and to the others that the maintenance of the plant is absolutely vital for the future prospects of our country, and for the well-being of the plant. These words will encourage you to pay a lot of attention to the maintenance of the plant.”
Touching on food security issues in the country, President Akufo-Addo said that it is in this vein that his government has instituted the programme for ‘Planting for Food and Jobs.’
Concern
For him, it is not right for a country like Ghana with all its fertile lands, to import basic food staples like plantain and pepper from Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, insisting, “We are capable of producing these things ourselves here, and I am determined that we go back to the good old days in Ghana where we produced these things ourselves.”
On the matter of free SHS, President Akufo-Addo reiterated the fact that the programme would commence in September this year to lift the financial burden of parents.
“Those who said I could not do it, for propaganda purposes, I hope in September, when the free SHS programme begins, they will have the generosity of heart to say that ‘Nana, come for your stone,’” he underscored.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Presidential Correspondent