President Akufo-Addo (arrowed) being mobbed at Abossey Okai
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday expressed satisfaction with the operation of the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant at Adjen Kotoku, explaining that the plant signifies modern mode of sanitation disposal.
During a visit to the place as part of his three-day tour of the Greater Accra Region, President Akufo-Addo underscored, “What we are witnessing here is the modern way of providing service, the collaboration between the state and private sector to deliver public goods. And, in this case, the most important in any city is sanitation.”
With the region’s population estimated between five and seven million people, President Akufo-Addo noted, “If we do not have an efficient, modern way of dealing with waste disposal, then we will have a city that will have major troubles with hygiene and an egress of cleanliness.”
“The plant,” the president added, “is an eye-opener for me. It is about what is possible, about what collaboration can do, and what is possible, with encouragement and proper policy framework, if we have confidence in Ghanaian entrepreneurs.
“Ghanaian entrepreneurs have to be at the forefront of the social and economic transformation of the country. This sort of facility, seeing it work in detail, is extremely encouraging.”
Particularly, the president was excited “about the idea that out of here too, it is making an important contribution to our balance of payments, by being able to export products out of here to neighbouring countries and afar. If you put all of these things together, we are seeing the best kind of collaboration between the state and the private sector.”
To Dr Joseph Siaw Agyapong, Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies – operators of the plant – the President Akufo-Addo expressed, “More grease to your elbow, and the contribution you are making to our social life is inestimable. We have to encourage you.”
He continued, “When you are at the forefront of doing things, like you are, you will be the subject of controversy; it goes with the territory. I know you a little bit, and I know you are capable of handling it. Stay focussed.”
On his part, Dr Agyapong told the president that the company had invested some $98 million in three different waste processing facilities across the country, employing some 700 permanent workers.
“Your presence here, Mr. President, reminds us of your commitment to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa. The Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources is a first step in that commitment. We see this as a smart and achievable vision, and we are happy to make this a reality,” he added.
The plant, Mr Agyepong said, has the capacity to process 600 tonnes of waste per day.
The compost and recycling plant is an integrated waste processing and recycling company, established to receive, sort, process and recycle solid and liquid waste to produce organic compost for agronomic purposes in Ghana in particular and West Africa at large.
President Akufo-Addo also visited Zoompak Ghana Limited at Achimota, which specialises in the construction and management of waste transfer stations, collection and management of healthcare waste, among others.
Visit To Abossey Okai
President Akufo-Addo also visited Abossey Okai, another suburb of Accra, to interact with spare parts dealers and business owners, as part of his tour.
He thanked the dealers for the support offered him and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the run-up to the December 2016 elections, adding that “had Abossey Okai not thrown its support behind the NPP and myself, winning power would have been extremely difficult, so I am grateful to you.”
President Akufo-Addo told the gathering that his government had started to implement several of the pledges made to Ghanaians ahead of last year’s elections namely, Free SHS, the revival of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), restoration of allowances to nursing and teacher trainees, among others.
He reassured them that “the 2018 budget, which will be read on 15th November, will make you in Abossey Okai very happy,” and thus urged them to be patient with government, stressing that all the promises made to them and Ghanaians would be fulfilled during his tenure.