Trade and Industry Minister Kobina Tahir Hammond on Friday, July 19 dismissed representatives of the Cement Manufacturers Association from a meeting with the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industry (GCCI) at the Christ the King in Accra.
A video from the meeting captured Mr Hammond insisting that the cement manufacturers exit before the meeting commenced.
“I was invited by the Chamber of Construction. I wasn’t invited by the Association of Cement Manufacturers. I wasn’t invited by them. Can they leave?” the Minister asked.
Mr Hammond explained that he had already held discussions with the manufacturers and there was no need to meet them again.
He emphasised that this particular meeting was meant for interactions with the Chamber of Construction.
“Two options, that I leave or they leave,” the minister stated firmly, despite attempts by representatives from the Chamber to justify the manufacturers’ attendance at the meeting.
He further indicated “Actually if you want it on record, they will not meet with me.”
Following the minister’s insistence, the Chairman of the Ghana Chamber of Construction Industries, Emmanuel Tettey Martey, requested the cement manufacturers to exit.
“Respectfully, our manufacturers, our minister has stated clearly that he has already met you and you have articulated your issues to him and so he thought that he was meeting only the chamber.
“So that is where we stand. We don’t want a situation where the minister will leave, then we wouldn’t have achieved the purpose for which the meeting was called,” he appealed.
Despite another intervention by the Vice Chairman of the Ghana Chamber of Construction, Nana Opare Kwafo, who also holds the title of Kyidomhene of Aburi, the Adansi Asokwa MP stood his ground and demanded the exit of the manufacturers.
A source at the meeting told CitiNewsroom, that the manufacturers had to walk out of the meeting for the meeting to continue.
The action of the Trade Minister comes after the Cement Manufacturers opted out of a meeting with him on 1 July 2024 because the minister insisted on holding it in the presence of the media.
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