President orders probe

Bolgatanga (Upper East Region) - President John Kufuor has ordered investigations into the delay in the sale of the Zuarungu Meat Factory near Bolgatanga, that has been placed on the divestiture list since 1992.

President Kufuor gave the directive on the weekend when he inspected the defunct factory. He was conducted round by the production manager, Armstrong Deri. The Upper East Regional Minister, Mahami Salifu, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Majeed Haroun and the Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Agesiiga Agambila are to make the inquiry.

The general manager, Martin Mohammed, disclosed that before the closure of the factory 20 years ago, its 200 person workforce had not been paid for 12 years. He said a skeleton staff of 15 is currently maintaining the place, and attributed the problem of the factory to lack of capital.

President Kufuor later visited the Upper East Quarry Company Limited at Pwalugu where he was taken round by the Managing Director, Freeman Abdurahamani. He told the President that the company had the capacity and the potential of providing chippings and quarry dust for the three northern regions. Abdurahamani mentioned lack of capital to increase production to meet customer demand and to replace aging equipment as the main problems facing the company.

President Kufuor also interacted with the chief of Tongo, Tongorana Naba Kwaa Dan Tii and his people.