Govt Erects 1D1F Billboard to Deceive My People-MP for Asikuma/Odaben/Brakwa

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asikuma/ Odaben/Brakwa, Hon Alhassan Kobina Ghansah, has accused President Akufo-Addo government of using its failed policy of one District One Factory (1D1F) to deceive his people with a Billboard erected in the constituency.

The Billboard, he said has been erected at Brakwa in the Constituency to portray plans to establish a Factory but nothing happened for over six years.

Hon Ghansah revealed this when he posed a question to the Minister for Trade and Industry in parliament on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

The MP wanted to know from the Minister when the Constituency will benefit from the 1D1F policy.

“Mr.Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Trade and Industry when Asikuma/Odaben/Brakwa District will benefit from the 1D1F policy.?”, Hon Ghansah asked.

According to him, the Constituency is yet to benefit from the government flagship policy of One District One Factory despite the erecting of a big billboard to that effect.

In response, the Trade and Industry Minister, Hon Kobina Tahir Hammond told Parliament, the IDIF is a demand-driven public-private partnership and so far no investor has come up with a proposed project in the Asikuma/Odaben/Brakwa.

“Mr. Speaker, the One District One Factory (1D1F) program is a
demand-driven initiative facilitated by the Government to assist the
private sector to establish at least one manufacturing enterprise in each of the 261 Districts of the country.

“Unfortunately to date, no private sector promoter has
expressed interest in establishing a 1D1F factory in the Asikuma
Odoben Brakwa District.

“We would entreat the Hon. Member to
identify and encourage a potential 1D1F Business Promoter to invest
in the District,” the Minister said.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) as part of its campaign in 2016, promised to ensure they establish a factory in all the 261 districts in the country.

But Hon Ghansah said he is disappointed as the sector Minister failed to explain to the people of Asikuma/Odaben/Brakwa why the government erected a Billboard which sought to indicate the District will benefit from the 1D1F policy.

He said the NPP in its 2016 campaign promised to establish a factory in each of the Districts in the country and not to be sponsored by private investors, describing it as a complete deception to woo electorates votes.

According to him, it was incumbent on the government to provide the enabling environment for the private sector, noting that the government should simply admit it has failed woefully to fulfill its promises to the people of Ghana.

Hon Ghansah said Brakwa where the Billboard has been sited is a farming community with abundant raw materials of any kind that could attract investors.

In his considered view, the government’s failure to provide an enabling environment has contributed to the lack of interest by investors to channel their resources into the area.

He, therefore called on the Minister to visit the constituency to ascertain his concerns, especially concerning the sitting of the billboard for a supposed factory.

Hon Ghansah spoke to the Media after posing his question in parliament.