President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s establishment of a pineapple factory in Ekumfi, is a monument to the late President John Evans Atta Mills, who hailed from the town.
“It is not only a mark of faithfulness but one that engenders national cohesion, a leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Tema West, Mr. Dennis Amfo Sefa, who is popularly known as Nana Boakye, has said.
Nana Boakye, a passionate activist of the NPP, said the establishment of the factory was a fulfillment of a campaign promise by the President and that it was symbolic of the fact that President Akufo-Addo was making politicians trustworthy again.
“On Saturday, 18th June 2016, the President had promised in Ajumako that if voted into office, he would establish a factory in Professor Mills’ hometown as part of the one district, one factory policy. And by the grace of God he has started doing just that,” Nana Boakye said.
He thanked the President for fulfilling the promise adding, “I can only say thank you to His Excellency for this faithfulness. I know Prof will be happy wherever he is.”
As the opener for the execution of the government’s flagship ‘One district, One factory’ policy’, the Ekumfi pineapple factory formed a launch pad for the whole policy, making Ekumfi the hometown of the late President Mills, the take off base.
As President Akufo-Addo had politically rivalled the late President Mills, narrowly losing to him in the 2008 Presidential election, the move to use Mills’ hometown as the launch pad for President Akufo-Addo’s flagship policy had been applauded as a show of political maturity.
In fact, indigenes of Ekumfi had since taken to social media to thank President Akufo-Addo for putting Ekumfi on the map.
“Even the NDC, which Professor Mills identified with could not put his hometown on firmly on the map the way Nana has done. That alone shows what a blessing President Akufo-Addo is to Professor Mills himself,” Nana Boakye said.
He added that the President’s usage of Ekumfi as the launch pad for the one district, one factory policy’ is also a lesson for all Ghanaians that irrespective of political differences, the interest of Ghana must be pursued.
“President Akufo-Addo is teaching all of us that politics is not a matter of enmity; that it is just a battle of ideas about how to better build the nation.”
He dismissed claims by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) that credit should be given to President Mahama for the establishment of the factory.
“The NDC is dreaming. Go to Ekumfi, the site of the factory and see if there is any factory there. It is now that the factory is being built after President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for its establishment. So how can anybody claim credit for something that does not exist?
Lawyer Aubby Aidooh, an aspiring NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Tema Central, was also full of praise for the President for his good works and urged Ghanaians to rally behind God-fearing politicians who can easily articulate the developmental concerns of their people and ensure that such concerns were concretized.