Executive
Director of Ghana's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henry Kwabena Kokofu
has expressed disgust over the construction of a cement factory at Weija
in Accra.
The factory, Empire Cement Ghana
Ltd, according to the EPA Boss, is producing and distributing cement
without authorization.
Empire Cement's new 1Mta cement plant is
being built in partnership with Obokom Civil Engineering Ltd and expected
to be commissioned in June 2022.
The EPA Boss revealed that the cement
company is operating beyond its permit.
He elucidated that the company was given
permit to produce cement bags only but the EPA later found out that it was
rather manufacturing cement.
He further disclosed that the company petitioned
the Sector Minister, Hon Abu Jinapor accusing the EPA of victimisation and
enforcing laws arbitrarily, when the latter attempted to have the company
closed down.
According to Kokufu, to ensure fairness, the
Minister then set up a Committee to look into the matter and the Committee's
report proved that Empire Cement Ghana is operating illegally on the site.
Therefore, the Agency has revoked the permit and
ordered the company to stop work with immediate effect.
"The report is clear that the company has encroached on
the laws of the country. EPA is right...It shouldn't have been there", Mr. Kokofu stated but added the management
of the company has ignored the warning, "now,
it is 98 percent completed".
Expounding on how the company continued to build
despite being ordered to stop, he said; "When
it was 2 percent, even 1%, the stop order came. We apprehended them and their
staff to the Regional Police Command. The records are there. We were preparing
them for court and so forth.
"Stop work, stop work but we are in a country where when
you are seriously doing something, then someone is also encouraging it that it
even reached a point that in spite of the Minister setting up a Committee and
the Committee telling them to stop work, around 8/9/10/11 O'clock, you will
find the facility at a certain level. In the morning and afternoon, you won't
find no one but in the night, you will see it at a certain level. Now, they are
at this point."
However, Mr. Kokofu hined that the company
may be demolished soon.
"We have not permitted that facility. Yes! EPA has not
permitted; in fact, they have infringed on the rules and regulations and the
laws of this country...It can be dismantled!"
He made these comments on Peace
FM's morning show "Kokrokoo".
Source:peacefmonline