By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, Dec 21, GNA – Government is in negotiation with a private company to revamp the Zuarungu Meat Factory in the Bolgatanga East District of the Upper East Region, Mr Stephen Yakubu, Regional Minister has said.
“It is refreshing to note that a private investor is in talks with the Ministries of Food and Agriculture, and Trade and Industry to revamp the Meat Factory under the government flagship programme; One District One Factory policy,” he said.
According to him, when the Factory is revived and made operational, it would significantly contribute to the industrialisation agenda of the government and create jobs for the teeming youth in the region and beyond for poverty red S uction and improvement of livelihoods.
The Regional Minister made this disclosure at the second meeting of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council held in Bolgatanga.
The meeting which brought together Municipal and District Assemblies and other heads of departments in the region was to share the successes and challenges of the region and forge solutions to addressing them.
Located at Dulugu, a community near Zuarungu, the meat factory, one of the legacies of the first President of Ghana, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, was constructed and started operation in 1965.
With its raw materials gotten from neighbouring countries Burkina Faso and Mali, the factory processed about 1,000 canned meat daily.
The factory created numerous jobs for many people especially those in the livestock value chain and other people dealing in the sales of animals and meat.
However , due to mismanagement, the factory folded up with its facilities deteriorated with operations coming to a standstill in 1995 ,which successive governments failed to revamp the facility after several campaign promises.
The Regional Minister reiterated that the NPP government was committed to achieving the Ghana beyond aid agenda through industrialisation and therefore the Zuarungu meat factory would play significant role when worked on.
On health, Mr Yakubu explained that apart from the eight district hospitals under the agenda 111 initiative which were at various stages of completion, the Infection Disease Treatment Centre at Zebilla in the Bawku West District was about 100 percent complete.
“However, some of our existing facilities need some minor repairs and a few basic logistics to put them to optimal use,” he added.
The Regional Minister lamented the poor referral system in the region and urged the Assemblies to support the National Ambulance Service with fuel to ensure the situation was addressed.
Touching on security, the Regional Minister noted that the region had enjoyed relative peace with no major security threats especially at Bawku and Doba-Kandiga which in recent times had been engulfed with insecurity and disputes.
The Regional Minister however, revealed that threats of activities of violent extremists had threatened the region and added that the Regional Security Council within the year arrested two people suspected to be extremists and were sent to Accra for further investigation
He said the REGSEC was on high alert to prevent any threats of insecurity posed by activities of violent extremists from the Sahel Region and urged the public to support the security agencies with relevant information.
He said, “I would like to use this platform to appeal to all and sundry to keep the slogan ‘see something, say something’ active at all times.”
GNA