Concerned residents notify Police of protest against Komenda Sugar Factory lease
The Concerned Citizens of the Komenda Traditional Area have announced their intention to hold a demonstration in Accra on September 17, 2024.
Initially planned for August 13 in Komenda, the protest was rescheduled to Accra to garner broader support.
The group is calling for the reversal of the lease agreement, insisting that the factory should focus on processing locally grown sugarcane rather than importing raw sugar.
The Concerned Citizens argue that the lease agreement was executed without proper adherence to procedures or stakeholder consultation.
They believe the factory’s original purpose is being undermined, and they are demanding immediate corrective action.
In a statement issued on September 3, 2024, the group formally notified the Ghana Police Service of their plans, per the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491).
The protest is expected to draw at least 5,000 concerned Ghanaians from Accra and nearby regions.
The $35 million Komenda Sugar Factory was inaugurated by former President John Mahama in May 2016.
Funded by the Indian EXIM Bank, the factory was intended to reduce sugar importation and create direct and indirect jobs for about 7,300 people along the value chain.
However, after its commissioning, the factory faced numerous challenges and ceased operations.
The Minister for Trade and Industry, K.T. Hammond has said the new agreement is necessary to revitalise the struggling factory’s operations.
Below is the notice to that effect.
