Western Regional Minister and Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has criticised his colleague and Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong.
The minister accused Agyapong, a candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership, of being selfish and unfair in his attacks on the administration and another NPP candidate, Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia.
The minister defended Bawumia from a withering attack by Ken Agyapong, who recently blamed Bawumia for Ghana’s economic troubles, in an interview on Takoradi-based Radio 360 on Monday (July 17).
Darko-Mensah argued that COVID was to blame for the economic downturn, and that fact has been confirmed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is currently bailing out Ghana.
“..we were all in the country when COVID broke. Were you the one who manufactured COVID? Even the IMF who are giving us a bailout said we (NPP) did not create the problem, as our economic challenges are as a result of COVID,” he stressed.
Additionally, Darko-Mensah pointed out that take-or-pay energy-sector contracts, signed during the previous government’s tenure, contributed significantly to the economic challenges. He questioned the relevance of such contracts to Dr. Bawumia, himself, or Ken Ofori-Atta’s decision to seek assistance from the IMF.
Regarding Kennedy Agyapong, Darko-Mensah highlighted that the MP has been a major recipient of government contracts for several years. He suggested that Agyapong should consider returning those contracts and refrain from accepting any new ones due to the current economic challenges faced by the country.
“Ghana is a member of the IMF and they have given us some assistance during COVID. Since Ghana went to the IMF the cedi is stabilising …what intrigues me however is, between you and I, we all know one of the biggest government contractors is the man you are talking about (Kennedy Agyapong).
“When things were bad and he was benefitting, that was right, but now that he wants to be a presidential candidate, he has forgotten about all those benefits he derived and wants us to forget about all that?
“Then he should reverse (sic) all those contracts he earned and hand it to others and say because Ghana is now back to the IMF, I will not take any government contract again. If he continues like that then technically you want to act like a greedy person who wants to benefit both ways.
“If he wants to find someone to blame for Ghana going to IMF, why won’t he also along the lines of equity say that he will not take any of the contracts he is taking during this IMF period? He is just misleading people and it needs to be straightened,” the minister added.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Takoradi Constituency, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has indicated that Ghana’s economic fortunes were improving after setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
He said promises made to Ghanaians during the 2020 election campaign were carefully pursued by President Akufo-Addo and his capable teams through innovation, hard work, and good policies.
He said it was evidenced by the numerous projects such as Hospitals, roads, and factories that have sprouted across the country.
Darko-Mensah who doubles as the Western Regional Minister said this during a community engagement at the Amanful Electoral Area to discuss the current economic conditions in the country.
He indicated the Western Region was benefiting from many roads being built across the region, citing the Tarkwa-Agona Ahanta road and the Sekondi-Takoradi roads as examples.
Emmanuel Avevor, an NPP communicator, said President Akufo – Addo’s government was committed to providing the Western Region with the needed resources to enhance development in the Region.
He mentioned that the Region was benefitting from eleven (11) Hospitals which he noted were at various stages of completion.
Prince Arthur, Assembly Member for the Area, praised the MP for his unwavering support for the residents of Amanful.
The event was the fifth in a series, as communities like New Takoradi, Essikafo-Ambantem No. 2, and Zenith Electoral Areas have already been visited by the MP.
The PTC Interchange alongside other ongoing projects would be completed, the Western Regional MinisterKwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has assured the chiefs and residents of the region.
This follows speculation that the Takoradi PTC Interchange, currently under construction in the twin-city of Sekondi-Takoradi, may not be completed because the contractor – Power China Sino-hydro Construction for some months now has abandoned work.
The 30-month interchange project, which is three-tier, is intended to receive and redirect access to the central business district, a hitherto congestion area.
The interchange is also expected to improve traffic flow in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and provide seamless connection to towns, districts and other parts of the region.
The unannounced halt of work became a source of worry to many residents, but the regional minister said all government projects started by President Akufo-Addo would be completed.
“As we wait for the return of the contractor, everything is being done to ensure that the construction site, which is still receiving and distributing traffic in and out of the metropolis, is kept safe,” he said.
Rains, safety of site
Mr Darko-Mensah said the regional office, through the metropolitan and municipal assemblies, had taken note of the approaching rainy season to ensure that areas cordoned off did not fall on the street or inflict injuries on pedestrians, the motoring public or obstruct traffic.
The twin-city and the region, he said, had become economically vibrant with many activities, including banking, oil and gas, port, logistics bays, insurance and other financial services, hence the need to ensure improved infrastructure to contain the demands.
He said there were other interchanges to be constructed in Sekondi-Takoradi, including one at the Paa-Grant Roundabout, and that the Chinese contractor would return to complete the project.
Market Circle
Meanwhile, the contractor working on the redevelopment of the Takoradi Central Market has also slowed down work amidst heightened fear of redundancy due to financial issues.
The vigour with which the contractor started redevelopment works on the 100-year-old Takoradi Market Circle project has gone down.
There is currently a skeletal staff doing minimal works.
The redevelopment of the Takoradi Market Circle being undertaken by Messrs.
Contracta Costruzioni Italy SLR, is expected to be completed this year but it is not certain if that will happen.
The more than €48 million project is being financed by the Deutsche Bank S.p.A Italy.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, cut the sod for the project in 2020.
Markets
“For the ease of doing business within the local communities and to improve trading activities in the region, 10 new markets are set for construction in the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies across the region aside from the Takoradi Central Market.
“With this, we expect that our traders and foodstuffs from the farms to the market will benefit with the creation of the perfect ambiance for business,” he said.
Work on the ongoing redevelopment of the Takoradi Central Market, popularly known as Market Circle, he said would come with more enhanced features expected of modern places designated for trading activities.
The first phase of the new market, he said, was almost done and that the facility promised to be the best and “a facility that adds up to our quest to position Sekondi-Takoradi and the region as the perfect place for doing business and I can assure the people that it will be completed”.
Water projects
The region, he said, had also been given 160 boreholes, “which are currently being constructed to help hard-to-reach areas have access to water, in line with SDG Goal 6”, adding, “Access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene is the most basic human need for health and well-being”.
The government, he said, would continue to touch and improve the quality of life of the people “we aside from all the challenges triggered by global issues will ensure that our people do not lack the basic needs to make life comfortable for the people.
“With our annual Christmas in the city, which goes beyond usual festivities of masquerades – provides the perfect platform for business to business discussions during the celebration, already there are great results and we will continue to create the ambiance and lingering business linkages,” he said.
For fire and other safety issues, he said 14 fire stations would be built and dedicated to all districts in the region.
The fire stations, Mr Darko-Mensah said had become more important owing to the increase in social and economic activities, movement of goods and services.
The fire stations are not just for extinguishing fires in the districts but also for protecting lives and property in the event of fires in their area and rescuing people in the event of a road traffic collision.
Other facilities
He said the fire station would also enable personnel to take proactive steps to identify and assess the full range of forseeable fire and rescue-related risks their areas faced, make provision for prevention and protection activities and respond to incidents appropriately.
The region, aside having social infrastructure development, is developing sports and other facilities.
“Aside from other completed sports facilities, 10 more AstroTurf are set to be constructed to cover every district in the region”.
The construction of these AstroTurf comes with sustainable features for other social engagements.
The Western Region, which continually maintains its place in the Ghana Premier League, would see development of more talents through the provision of these sports facilities.
The majority of Ghana’s cocoa is produced in the Western and Western North regions.
According to CMC data, however, of the nearly 500,000 tonnes of cocoa that were shipped during the 2019/2020 cocoa season, 52% were shipped from Takoradi, 42% from Tema, and 6% from Kumasi.
Despite Takoradi being the hub for cocoa shipments, the business blamed this on the fact that only two or three transport lines called there.
“I therefore appeal to cocoa marketing company to fast track efforts to make the port of Takoradi, their hub for all cocoa exporting in order to expand the associated job opportunity for the people in the region especially as with coming into operation, the ACT container and the multipurpose terminal by Ibis Tek ,and shipping lines can no longer have any excuse concerning draft limitations recalling at the Takoradi port .”
He continued, “I also want to make it clear that we have enough space at the Takoradi port for businesses, for shippers, for oil and gas companies and for tourism communities, in fact there is no congestion in the Takoradi port and the ease in doing business here in Takoradi is very excellent.”
The Atlantic Terminal Services Multi-purpose container terminal development is part of the container and multi-purpose terminal concession partnership between GPHA, IbisTek Limited, and AFC-Equity of the Africa Finance Corporation.
The terminal developed now presents a 600 metre quay wall at -16m water depth along the berths. There is also a terminal space of 9.8 hectares (98,000) square metres fitted with civil engineering terminal facilities and utilities services for container terminal operations.
Crane rails have been provided in anticipation of the most modern ship-to-ship (STS) container handling cranes.
The oil and gas services terminal to be developed will provide 21 hectares of serviced terminal area.
Work on the 78-kilometre Nsuta-Manso rail line in the Western region is progressing steadily and is expected to be completed by end of July 2023, the Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has disclosed.
He said already, the Kojokrom-Manso stretch had been completed and operationalised.
Taking his turn at the weekly state of the region development organised by the Ministry of Information, he said the modernisation of the rail lines formed part of the government’s grand infrastructure development agenda of the Western Region.
Okyere Darko-Mensah said apart from the railway sector, a lot more was also happening in the road sector in the region.
He said key among the road projects were the construction of an interchange at the Paa Grant roundabout, the rehabilitation of the Esiama-Teleku-Bokazo-Aniben roads.
Also included are the asphalting of the two-kilometre Assake-Whindo road, the 1.5-kilometre WAMCO-Effiakuma road which had been completed and were in use.
In addition to this was the construction of the sea defence walls at Axim, Amanfu-Kuma, Aboadze, Adjoa and Funkoe.
Mr Darko Mensah explained that a number of health infrastructures had been provided with a lot more currently ongoing.
He listed them as the rehabilitation and remodelling of the Effia Nkwanta Hospital, the new regional hospital, polyclinic facilities at Bogoso, Elubo-Jomoro, Nsuaem, Wasa Dunkwa and New Takoradi.
He said government was also concerned about the water situation in the region and as a result a number of projects in that area had been undertaken.
He said work on the new headquarters of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) at Takoradi was progressing steadily and was about 65 per cent completed.
The facility he said when completed would host the head office of the corporation in fulfillment of the government’s pledge to relocate the headquarters of GNPC to the Western Region.
Touching on the redevelopment of the Takoradi Market Circle, he said the project was about 68 per cent completed.
He noted that apart from facelifting the area it would provide a conducive atmosphere for the market women to conduct their business.
The Minister said the Western region remained one of the regions in the country that had benefited immensely from this government’s initiatives.
He said apart from the massive physical infrastructural works, a lot of social interventions had also been undertaken in the region.
He noted that the region continued to be an investment hub and encourages businessmen and investors to turn their attention to the area.
Mr Darko Mensah said apart from the oil sector the region had a huge potential in the areas of agriculture, commerce and tourism.
The petroleum hub is aimed at processing of petro-chemical products, crude oil, fertilizer plant and oil refineries which forms part of measures to develop the Region.
When completed, the hub will serve as means of “export to the rest of West Africa and the rest of the world. And the huge potentials of it in terms of job creation and the value it will create is what makes unique in the Western Region and it’s something that we believe that it’s doable with investors already expressing interest in it”.
He further revealed that the hub will create 680,000 jobs in the Region.
The Minister said these during Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has stated that the government will keep burning excavators and other machinery used in small-scale mining otherwise known as ‘galamsey’.
This he said is to deter people from giving out their excavators for galamsey activities.
He warned that the move is to deal ruthlessly with big men behind the illegal mining menace.
He warned that government will not watch aloof for small-scale miners to destroy lands and water bodies.
The Regional Minister added that health workers in the region report that kidney cases have gone up due to activities by small-scale miners.
Mr. Darko-Mensah said government will not allow the activities of small-scale miners to destruct governance in the country.
“We will keep burning excavators till small-scale miners (galamseyers) stop purchasing such machines. We will definitely burn excavators used to destroy our water bodies. We will burn the excavators so that the big men who have lost their sense of reasoning will be hit the most. The mercury they use in mining directly affects Ghanaians, it’s killing so many people. Dr. Afriyie says kidney cases have gone up in the region due to galamsey. We won’t sit down for this to continue. We will not allow galamseyers to intimidate us. If we allow them to operate, they will continue to destruct governance in the country and create problems, so anyone with plans to purchase excavators for small-scale mining in the 2024 election year will think twice,” Mr. Darko-Mensah said on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo.
He questioned how the country will benefit from the region if small-scale mining activities continue without proper checks.
“We want to continue to support this country, so we will not allow small-scale mining (galamsey) to go on. Out of 700,000 metric tons of cocoa produced in Ghana, 444,000 metric tons came from the Western region, so if we allow galamsey in the region how will Ghana benefit from the region,” he asked on on the show.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has stressed that the government will keep burning excavators and other machinery used in small-scale mining otherwise known as ‘galamsey’.
This he said is to deter people from giving out their excavators for galamsey activities.
He warned that the move is to deal ruthlessly with big men behind the illegal mining menace.
He warned that government will not watch aloof for small-scale miners to destroy lands and water bodies.
The Regional Minister added that health workers in the region report that kidney cases have gone up due to activities by small-scale miners.
Mr. Darko-Mensah said government will not allow the activities of small-scale miners to destruct governance in the country.
“We will keep burning excavators till small-scale miners (galamseyers) stop purchasing such machines. We will definitely burn excavators used to destroy our water bodies. We will burn the excavators so that the big men who have lost their sense of reasoning will be hit the most. The mercury they use in mining directly affects Ghanaians, it’s killing so many people. Dr. Afriyie says kidney cases have gone up in the region due to galamsey. We won’t sit down for this to continue. We will not allow galamseyers to intimidate us. If we allow them to operate, they will continue to destruct governance in the country and create problems, so anyone with plans to purchase excavators for small-scale mining in the 2024 election year will think twice,” Mr. Darko-Mensah said on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo.
He questioned how the country will benefit from the region if small-scale mining activities continue without proper checks.
“We want to continue to support this country, so we will not allow small-scale mining (galamsey) to go on. Out of 700,000 metric tons of cocoa produced in Ghana, 444,000 metric tons came from the Western region, so if we allow galamsey in the region how will Ghana benefit from the region,” he asked on on the show.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has explained why he responded to a social media post by GHOne TV about a regional minister fainting after a driver stole his GH¢17 million even though his name was not mentioned in the post.
The post by GHOne TV reported that a regional minister collapsed after his driver bolted away with the stated amount, said to be proceeds from illegal mining (galamsey).
“A Regional Minister collapses as his driver bolts with 17 million cedis galamsey proceeds. Driver is reported to be in Ivory Coast at the moment,” parts of the post by GHOne read.
Responding to this post, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah denied any link to the report.
In a press statement, he said that the news linking him to the report is bent on tarnishing his hard-won reputation.
“This news alert appears to cast an innuendo on my person. It is therefore not strange that for those who are still bent on tarnishing my hard-won reputation and to distract me from executing my official duties in service to the people of my region including my unrelenting fight against illegal mining in the region, they have jumped onto this news alert to further their sinister objectives,” parts of the statement noted.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM on October 19, 2022, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, Okyere Darko-Mensah said that he had to respond because he had issues with some parts of the post.
He added that he had spoken to the Chief Executive Officer of the EIB Network, Nathan Kwabena Anokye Adisi, a.k.a. Bola Ray, to get the matter resolved.
“You see, when people are not sure of things, they should not disgrace people or create funny impressions in the minds of people. Because somebody may not even verify the facts and accept the allegations that are being made, which will create problems for you.
“That is why we had to tackle it so that next time people will think twice before making allegations.
“If you look at the second part of the post, there is something in it that we dealing with. After the post was shown to me, I contacted Bola Ray and he said he will cross-check the facts and get to me. And so, we are waiting,” he said in Twi.
The Member of Parliament for the Tarkwa Nsuem constituency, George Mireku Duker, has sued the Dompim-Pepesa chief, Nana Nyowah Panyin IV, for defamation after claims the MP was involved in illegal mining.
Also cited in the October 14 lawsuit are the Multimedia Group and the Class Media Group.
The comments the MP deems defamatory were made on Joy FM and Accra FM.
Mr. Mireku Duker, who is also the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, wants the persons he has sued to retract and apologise for their role in spreading the claims.
In addition, he wants GH¢10 million as well as aggravated damages from the publication of the allegations by the two media companies.
Nana Nyowah Panyin IV also cited the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, when making his claims about illegal mining activity in the Western Region.
“The words complained off are absolutely false, products of the defendants’ imagination and were mischievously designed by the defendant to disparage him, stain his reputation, court public disaffection for him and to bring him into abhorrence in the eyes of right-thinking members of the public and the global community,” Mr. Mireku Duker’s lawsuit said.
The MP maintains that his reputation has been “violently damaged” and his chances of winning the next election have suffered.
He also said the two stations did not give him a chance to respond to the allegations.
Since the lawsuit was filed, Joy News has published an apology to Mr. Mireku Duker and Mr. Darko-Mensah.
The Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area in the Western Region, Nana Kobina Nketsia IV, highlighted that the schemes deceive people into making risky investments.
He also commended the SEC for choosing the Western Region to launch their regional outreach initiative.
Nana Kobina Nketsia IV, Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area in the Western Region, has charged the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) to take steps to curb the proliferation of Ponzi schemes in the market.
According to him, such schemes have lured many people into bad investments and caused them untold hardships and in many instances death.
Speaking at a regional education campaign organised by SEC in Takoradi dubbed, ‘Time with the SEC’, he stated that it was however refreshing to see the SEC undertaking various investor engagement programmes to increase public trust, confidence, and a better understanding of the capital market.
He also applauded the SEC for their decision to begin their regional outreach programme in the Western Region.
Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, Western Regional Minister, in a speech, the public education programmes were vital to the development of the entrepreneurial mindset and enterprise in the region. He highlighted the need for the SEC to also help make the region an attractive financial hub in the country.
Director-General (DG) of the SEC, Rev. Daniel Ogbarmey Tetteh, in a comment, explained the rationale for the introduction of ‘Time with the SEC’ to protect investors. He pointed out other important steps that had been taken to strengthen the securities industry including issuing important guidelines for market operators, the introduction of more stringent licensing requirements and the launch of a 10-year Capital Market Master Plan to serve as a blueprint for the growth and development of the Ghanaian capital market.
He assured the audience that there would be a series of capital market educational programmes under the ‘Time with the SEC’ investor education programme rolled out across the country.
The SEC Director-General also provided the latest updates on the implementation of the Government Bailout programme and the next steps. He said there was also an engaging open forum that allowed investors and other members of the public an opportunity to ask questions and make their issues known directly to the SEC.
The programme covered topics including ‘Understanding the role of the SEC in the Capital Market’, ‘ The Regulatory Framework of the SEC’, ‘Understanding how the Capital Market works’, and ‘Capital Raising and Investment’.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has stressed the need for the development and building of managerial skills of entrepreneurs to enhance the sustainability and growth of their businesses.
He said enhancing management skills was crucial for building a business and that perseverance and openness to learning were key attributes for any entrepreneur.
These were contained in a speech read on his behalf by Mr Frederick Agyemang, Western Regional Coordinating Director at the opening session of the 17th Electrical Wiring Certificate Awards Presentation Ceremony held in Takoradi.
He mentioned helping to raise awareness on the number of opportunities that were available to grow businesses, such as the variety of finance providers in the market as another form of support which could be offered to entrepreneurs.
The Minister said, entrepreneurs must understand that every business entrepreneur made mistakes and suffered setbacks, often for reasons beyond their control but that the key difference was how one responded to such mistakes and the setbacks.
Mr Darko-Mensah therefore, urged all existing entrepreneurs and future ones to be strong and know that they could come back stronger in the end if they persevered.
The Regional Minister indicated that youth entrepreneurship was high on every political agenda to boost competitiveness and employment, since the young entrepreneurs had the potential to build new economic dynamics geared towards growth and job creation.
He said the Government over the years had given attention to entrepreneurship promotion that focused attention on creating a more enabling environment to support youth entrepreneurs.
Mr Darko-Mensah pointed out that education and training had been a critical tool to develop the entrepreneurial mind set and specific skills for business start-ups and development.
He said there were SMEs support agencies which had been established as ‘one-stop’ shops providing more packaged support such as training and financial support, advisory and mentoring services for young people.
“May I, therefore, use this occasion to urge the youth especially, to look critically and assess the gaps that exist in the business landscape and set up enterprises that are sustainable, to fill in the gaps,” he stated.
The Regional Minister hinted that MasterCard and other Foundations were available for the youth to venture into entrepreneurship and that the Western Region offered many business opportunities for consideration under these initiatives.
Mr Isaac Yankson, Deputy Director of Trade and Industry for Western Region mentioned some of the core functions of the Ministry as the facilitation of private sector access to capital, and to ensure that private sector development programmes were complementary and covered a broad range of needs.
He added that the Ministry also facilitated innovation and entrepreneurship, to develop standards and Quality Systems to meet production requirements for local and international markets and facilitate the removal of institutional and legal bottlenecks.
Mr Yankson said the Ministry of Trade and Industry has been rigorously pursuing its National Industrial Transformation drive which sought to industrialise each District in the country and spatially create decent jobs for all.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah has asked road contractors who are unable to undertake road contracts awarded them to return their contract certificates.
There abound a litany of roads awarded on contracts, yet contractors are not on site as some have abandoned work midstream with the excuse of they not being paid by government for works so far executed.
“There are a lot of road contracts in the western region, what we have seen is that some contractors are not doing their best. What we are saying is that any contractor who is not ready for the contract should write a letter to the ministry detailing his or her inability to fulfill the contract so that we re-award it. We are not ready to plead with any contractor again”, he emphasized.
The Western Region in recent times has seen some agitations by chiefs and indigenes over poor roads for which politicians keep emphasizing are on contract. The attitude by the contractors is seen as unfair by the Western Regional Minister.
“When the contractors were coming for the tendering process they brought along letters from their respective banks assuring the government that they had enough money to complete the contract. So if all of a sudden you turn around and complain of insufficient funds to complete the work then it means you are trying to deceive the government.”
he fumed over.
Just this week, chiefs in the Ahanta West Municipality have had to take to demonstrating over poor roads at Sankor – Cape 3 points although for the past 2 years they kept being impressed upon that the roads are all on contract since 2020 yet no contractor is on-site till date.
The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah has asked road contractors who are unable to undertake road contracts awarded them to return their contract certificates.
There abound a litany of roads awarded on contracts, yet contractors are not on site as some have abandoned work midstream with the excuse of they not being paid by government for works so far executed.
“The western region has a lot of road contracts, but we’ve noticed that certain contractors aren’t performing their finest work.
We are requesting that any contractor who is not prepared for the contract notify the ministry in writing of their incapacity to carry out the contract in order for us to re-award it.
He underlined, “We are not prepared to beg any contractor once more.
Chiefs and indigenous people in the Western Region have recently been protesting some of the terrible roads that politicians keep stressing are under contract repair.
The Western Regional Minister views the contractors’ behavior as unfair.
“When the contractors were coming for the tendering process they brought along letters from their respective banks assuring the government that they had enough money to complete the contract. So if all of a sudden you turn around and complain of insufficient funds to complete the work then it means you are trying to deceive the government.”
he fumed over.
Just this week, chiefs in the Ahanta West Municipality have had to take to demonstrating over poor roads at Sankor – Cape 3 points although for the past 2 years they kept being impressed upon that the roads are all on contract since 2020 yet no contractor is on-site till date.
Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has called on investors to explore opportunities in the Western Region in order to invest more in the coconut production industry.
He indicated that the Region contributed more than 80 per cent of the country’s coconuts for local consumption and export.
Mr Darko-Mensah made the call when he addressed participants at the second International Coconut Festival which was held on the theme: “Repositioning Ghana’s Coconut Sector for Accelerated Industrialisation.”
He recalled that in 2020, he launched a five million coconut project in the Western Region, which commenced the establishment of two new seed gardens in the Shama and Jomoro Districts in addition to the existing two at Aiyinase and Bonsaso in the Ellembelle District.
The initiative, he said, was to revamp the coconut industry in the Region and expressed hope that more than $400,000 could be accrued to farmers per year should the four million coconut trees planted for the project survive.
He said it was expected that the international support platform and partnership would help investors to leverage efforts in building new relationships to achieve the intended goal.
He noted that there was a high demand for Coconut, which has been increasing by 10 per cent each year on a global scale of which Ghana has not truly capitalized on and, therefore, deemed the coconut festival a timely intervention.
The Western Regional Minister, Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, has advised civil servants to lend the required support to the private sector to grow.
He, therefore, encouraged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to partner with the private sector to develop their local economy.
“You need to create the enabling environment for the private sector to partner with local authorities to develop and sustain businesses,” he said.
Mr Darko-Mensah was addressing public and civil servants in the Nzema-East and Ellembelle Districts as part of his three-day working tour of the Nzema area.
The move, he noted, would help create jobs and reduce poverty through mobilisation of local, natural and human resources as well as value addition.
The Western Regional Coordinating Director, Mr Frederick Agyemang, who accompanied the Regional Minister, advised Civil and Public Servants in the Western Region to maintain higher ethical standards in their work.
He, therefore, warned civil servants who leak information to the public and the media to halt the practice.
The Coordinating Director said the act was against the public service rule which every civil servant took an oath to protect and abide with.
Mr Agyemang stated that the law would deal with those who flouted the civil service rule of confidentiality.
He told them that as civil servants they were implementers of government flagship programmes, adding “so you do not have to deliberately fight against government policies and programmes”.
He admonished the public servants to be punctual at work and ensure that they submitted their quarterly reports required of them to the Regional Coordinating Council on time.
