AGI urged to collaborate with the academia

The Paramount Chief of New Juaben Traditional Area, Daasebre Oti Boateng has advised the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) to collaborate with the academia to build strong pillars for economic development of the country.

He reminded the members of the AGI that, the development of the country depended on the industrialists and not the politicians.

Daasebre Oti Boateng said the politicians were always transients and could be changed at every elections but the industrialists were always there and so often the industrialists thought about permanency, long and lasting decisions and solutions that had stronger bearing on the country.

Daasebre Oti Boateng was speaking at Koforidua at the weekend when the members of the National Council of the AGI who were attending this year’s Annual Review Meeting of the Association at Koforidua called on him at his palace.

He said industry in Ghana had collaborated with the entertainment sector, sports and festivals but it is time that industry moved along with the academia to provide the needed support.

Daasebre Oti Boateng urged members of AGI to unite and be bold to guide the politicians when their decisions were going “off the mark”.

He observed that laws alone could not help solve the economic challenges facing the country and urged the industrialists to look at processing local raw materials for local consumption and for export.

Daasebre Oti Boateng reminded the members of AGI that Ghana needed more than what they had achieved and that the development of the country was in their hands.

The President of AGI, Mr Asare Adjei said, the AGI wanted the development of strong local industries which could become the future industrial giants of the African continent.

He said the country needed to put in place the necessary structures that would ensure that, the local companies became part of the industrial giants which were investing in the country.

Mr Adjei said, it was only the Ghanaian who could best help to develop the country and not the foreigners, who only came in to conduct their business. He called for collaboration between AGI and traditional authorities for industrial development of the country.