The Chief Executive Officer of the Keta Investment Promotion Center (KIPC), Enyonam Adzo Apetorgbor, has criticised the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) for allegedly misleading the public about the progress of the Keta Port project.

According to Enyonam Apetorgbor, the recent comments made by the GPHA’s Director-General [Micheal Luguje], suggesting a surge of interest from private investors in the project, are rather misleading as they only present “continued dissemination of false hope” to the people of the Volta Region.

In a statement issued on August 13, 2023, the KIPC CEO questioned the timing of the claims made by the GPHA Director-General, particularly as the country approaches the election season in December.

Enyonam Apetorgbor argued that the claims made by the GPHA are not new, asserting that numerous investors had in the past expressed interest in the Keta Port project long before the recent statements by the Director-General.

“The suggestion that private investors are suddenly showing interest in the Keta Port project is not only misleading but a clear attempt to play on the emotions of the public. The truth is that numerous investors expressed interest in this project long ago, ever since it was first declared. What the people deserve now is action, not empty promises or deceptive rhetoric meant to score political points,” she said in the statement.

“The yellow and blue container offices that were hastily erected on the project site remain empty, serving as nothing more than symbols of unfulfilled promises. This is a clear indication of the lack of genuine progress on the project,” the KIPC CEO added.

She, however, challenged the GPHA to remain transparent and demanded that the authority publish a comprehensive report on budget provisions to date.

Additionally, the KIPC CEO requested that the project’s Gantt chart or milestones be made public, enabling the public to assess the actual progress of the project.

“The people of Volta and Keta deserve better than to be used as pawns in political games. We call on the GPHA and all relevant authorities to act with integrity and transparency and to prioritize the real development of the Keta Port over political expediency,” the KIPC boss concluded.

MA/NOQ

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