A group called the Concerned Citizens of the Komenda Traditional Area has suspended, for 13 days, its intended demonstration over the dormant sugar factory in the area.
The group had earlier served notice of a street protest over the abandoned Komenda Sugar Factory in the Central Region.
According to the group, the structure has started deteriorating due to neglect by authorities.
The group therefore wants the authorities to pay attention to the factory, which was built under the John Mahama administration.
The demonstration was slated for Tuesday, July 6, 2021, but in a recent statement, the group said the police extended an invitation to its leaders for a meeting where it was agreed that there will be an open forum on July 19, 2021, to discuss the state of the Komenda factory.
“After a 3-hour crunch meeting between us, the convenors of Fix Komenda Sugar Factory Demonstration, the Regional Minister, Ghana Police Service and National Security, we agreed that an Open Forum be organised on 19th July 2021 between government officials (Regional Minister, Ministry of Trade and Industry, etc) and all other stakeholders and interested parties within the Region and beyond.”
The statement also noted that the demonstration will be suspended for 13 days to allow the government to address the issue.
“The planned demonstration on Tuesday, 6th July 2021 be suspended till the close of day, 19th July 2021 pending the outcome of the open dialogue. We want to state on record that we have suspended this demonstration, not because of fear or intimidation from any quarters. As well-meaning and development-focused Ghanaians, we have agreed to suspend this demonstration because we want to give dialogue, a second chance as a way forward,” the statement added.
Read the full statement below
Komenda Sugar Factory still sits idle
The delay in naming a strategic investor to help revamp the ailing Komenda Sugar Factory has deepened the woes of the establishment.
Currently, the $60-million factory located at Komenda in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) municipality in the Central Region is wasting away, as it is overgrown with weeds resulting from three years of lying idle.
The harsh weather conditions and the salty breeze from the Atlantic Ocean that lies about three kilometres from the factory have triggered rapid corrosion of the metallic parts of machinery at the factory.
The rusty metallic parts of machines indicate that further delay in putting the factory to use could lead to additional costs in terms of repairs and replacement of those parts.
At the cane yard, for instance, the cane table which drops sugar cane into the conveyor belt during processing is rusty.
The cutter, which receives sugar cane from the conveyor belt for processing, and the vaporisation chamber had not been spared, as they are also dusty and lay idle.
