Accra, Ghana, February 23, 2019//-One-District, One-Factory (1D1F) project, undoubtedly, is one of the many imperative flagship projects of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), highly touted before, during and after the 2016 general elections when they eventually assumed power.
It has been declared by many, including various political think-tanks as a step in the right direction, as far as development and the growth of economy of the country is of relevant importance to all and sundry.
A fantastic project by all standards that could boost the income capacity of people living in Ghana, ultimately make a U-turn in the economic and developmental trajectory and consequently ranking the country extremely high as the beacon of rapid development to other nations on the African continent and beyond.
However, it is also prudent of all as citizens to delve more into this life-changing project to ascertain if truly, Ghanaians are in the pole position as a country to embark fully on this course.
Ghana, previously enriched and pervasively industrialized in every length and breadth of the country, has lost such wonderful status-quo contemporarily.
Now, the questions which keep lurking in the minds of endearing citizens are; how can it be so? Why is it so? And what can we do?
These factories were flourishing, efficient, actively working and generating substantial income for the government as well as its co-shareholders, some of whom were entities from Netherland, Denmark, Germany, USA, India, among others. Notably, amongst these factories are the Juapong Textile Limited and Akosombo Textile Limited (ATL).
Juapong Textile Limited, renamed under the stewardship of John Agyekum kufuor, second president under the fourth republic of Ghana, to Volta Star Textile Limited (VSTL).
An agro-processing business firm, located in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region, charged with the sole responsibility of transforming cotton imported from Cameroun and Egypt into yarn and grey-baft to feed the Ghana Textile Print and other textile companies producing tertiary goods, for international and local market consumption.
Akosombo Textile limited, noted for the manufacture of African Fancy Prints and Real Wax, akin to the goals of JTL.
These two giant factories have been very vibrant and used to employ a staggering number of over 26,000 workers, until some decades ago when their efficiency started to dwindle and along the line lost an average of 60 percent of their market shares.
These circumstances rendered residents and hitherto workers of these factories baffled and depressed financially and psychologically, and to a larger extent, left them option less than to move from the affected places to pursue greener-pastures elsewhere, mostly in the various cities of the country and in effect aggrandizing the rate of rural-urban migration, as it was deemed the only repository of employment and livelihood for them.
Today, these factories, most especially the aforementioned two, are yet to undergo any form of renaissance after so many years of hitting the rocks.
Not to talk of the sudden outcry of fruit juice factories which are on the verge of complete breakdown, earnestly seeking the indulgence of government day-in-day-out to stabilize the problem of rising cost of production, unavailability of raw materials and to aid in the provision of adequate remedies in turning their fortunes around for good. Government can accomplish these herculean tasks by increasing more fiscal injection to enhance their revitalization.
With no intention to bulldoze the initiative of One-District, One-Factory by the incumbent government, it would only be judicious to revamp the already existing but inefficient ones in respect of a huge amount of money allotted in the 2017 and 2018 budgets to the tune of Gh¢456 and 416 million respectively in fulfilment of the project.
Let’s do this self-introspection, what assurance and guarantee do we have that in some few years to come these supposed 257 factories’ optimal efficiency would experience a dramatic up-dive if mismanagement begins to set in as has happened to the currently inefficient ones under review?
If not restored to their former state of efficiency and productivity before orchestrating and budgeting to put up more, it would on the part of the government be a clear indication and evidence of putting the cart before the horse coupled with thriven misplaced priorities.
In order to be on a safer side and in essence, curtail diabolical circumstances pertaining to the efficiency of the factories in the foreseeable times, the government must dutifully intensify efforts the more in ensuring the rejuvenation of the fallen factories.
It is only through the stated seminal step, that, wider path could be paved reasonably for more structures and logistics to come on board for the expansion and construction of new ones, by virtue of the 1D1F, to enlarge our economies of scale, increase the purchase of indigenous goods and provide more avenues to reduce the unemployment rate drastically for the betterment of all.
Some of the pros of revamping the inefficient ones and ensuring its sustainability before proceeding with the 1D1F are as follows
- The impoverishment that bedevilled these localities shall obviously experience a U-turn.
- Considering the locations of some of these factories, usually perceived undeveloped as juxtaposed to others in the country, it shall re-echo and underscore government‘s commitment in the enhancement of decentralization.
- It shall also bring renewed sense of hope to indigenes of the affected areas in which these factories are situated and as such lessening the population burden on the ever increasing urban areas across the country.(Juapong Textile Limited).
- It shall be an icing on the cake at the government’s end, in promoting and championing the rare spirit of continuation of governance, contrary to the usual routine of many past governments who aimed to gain their own glory in our political dispensation hence abandoning vital needs and projects supposed to be done by preceded governments.
- Always take into cognizance how unbelievably tough this decision could be for the president and his syndicate to take, but it will be worth honorous, if they do, for the interest of all, trust me.
By Wisdom Kofi Adzakor, Political Activist
(0241389530)
