Will the Empire’s “unauthorized” cement factory in Weija be demolished? | General news

The executive director of the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has expressed his disgust at the construction of a cement plant at Weija in Accra.

The factory, Empire Cement Ghana Ltd, according to the EPA boss, produces and distributes cement without authorization.

Empire Cement’s new 1Mta plant is being built in partnership with Obokom Civil Engineering Ltd and is expected to be commissioned in June 2022.

The EPA boss revealed that the cement company was operating beyond its permit.

He clarified that the company had received approval to produce only bags of cement, but the EPA later discovered that it was manufacturing cement instead.

He further revealed that the company had petitioned the Sector Minister, Hon Abu Jinapor, accusing the EPA of victimization and arbitrary law enforcement, when the latter attempted to shut down the company.

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 at the site.

Consequently, the Agency revoked the permit and ordered the company to stop work with immediate effect.

“The report makes it clear that the company trespassed on the laws of the country. The EPA is right…it shouldn’t have been there,” Mr Kokofu said but added that the company’s management ignored the warning, “Now it’s 98 percent complete.”

Explaining how the business continued to grow despite being ordered to stop, he said; “When it was 2% or even 1%, the arrest order came. We apprehended them and their staff at the regional police command. The files are there. We were preparing them for court and so on. after.

“Stop work, stop work but we are in a country where when you do something seriously then someone also encourages it that it has even reached a point that despite 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 will not find anyone but at night you will see her on some level. Now they’re at that stage.”

However, Mr. Kokofu hinted that the business could soon be demolished.

“We did not authorize this installation. Yes ! The EPA did not authorize it; in fact, they broke the rules and regulations and laws of this country… It can be dismantled!

He made these comments on Peace FM morning show “Kokrokoo”.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

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