EPA In Fresh Trouble For Sabotaging Empire Cement Factory

Following this development, the aggrieved chiefs and residents dressed red clothes and bands have given a month ultimatum to the EPA to grant the necessary environmental operating permits or licenses to Empire Cement Factory to start its commercial business operations.

"But if EPA fails to comply with our request, we have no option than to demonstrate and move to EPA to besiege the premises of EPA and subsequently demand from the EPA to grant the permit to the factory to begin operations," the chiefs and residents stressed.

According to them, there have been earlier complaints of possible pollution of the residents living around the catchment areas of the factory should it be allowed to operate.

They pointed out that although works on the factory were completed, the lack of permit from the EPA is currently preventing the factory from operating.

Notwithstanding, some residents have since the begining of the construction process of the factory vehemently opposed to its sighting in the area.

A couple of days ago, some residents staged a demonstration against the situation of the factory in the area.

However, the Weija-Gbawe traditional authorities and other residents argued that the factory is five hundred metres away from the community hence making it safer to operate.

At a press conference, the President of Cumulative Residents Association of South West McCarthy Hill made up of Tetegu, Mendskrom, Weija, Oblogo, Aplaku and Gbawe urged the government to issue at least a temporary working permit to factory to commence operation.

Giving the greenlight for the factory to operate is become very necessary because so that the central government through the Environmental Protection Agency can check environmental and traffic impact of the company and can withdraw the permit if it does not meet the Environmental Safety standards," he suggested.

He described as a total lies and baseless, the claims made by the McCarthy Hills Residents Association who linked the Empire Cement Factory as galamsey operations.

According to Mr. Dannso, the McCarthy Hills Residents Association is made up of a few elite residents who live on the hill top and will not be in any way affected by the activities of the factory.

"We are saying that the cement factory when in operation is expected to employ about 13,000 people which will help ease the rate of unemployment in the municipality and country at large," he stated.

For his part the Presiding Member for the Weija Gbawe Municipal Assembly, Mr Andrew  Oppong Amoako said, the government should indicate its commitment to supporting investors by seeing to the operationalization of factory.

"Or else we are going to hit the street and demonstrate against the government because the EPA boss, Mr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu is playing selfish game refusing to grant the factory permit to operate," he stressed.