DAILY GRAPHIC, Saturday, February 9, 2013, Pg.39. GAF to revamp defunct industries

Dr Patrick Quainoo

Story: Mary Ankrah

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has given assurance that it would revamp all defunct industries in the country to create wealth and employment as well as generate revenue to expedite development.

To that end, a Defence Holding Industries Company (DIHOC) has been instituted to spearhead that ambitious programme to accelerate growth and development in the country.

Currently, the GAF in collaboration with the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) is revamping the Kumasi shoe factory to generate employment and produce shoes for the military, school children and civilians alike.

Dr Patrick Quainoo, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Patriq Green Limited, made this known in an interview in Accra.

According to him, the military of today is well resourced academically and could lead in ventures for industrial revolution, citing examples in Egypt, Israel and Ethiopia where the military were at the forefront of industry with huge industrial initiatives.

He said the government needed to quickly recognise the potential of the military and utilised them rather than to let them languished in the barracks.

“Our military in Ghana are equal to the task because most of them are academically and skillfully inclined to change the economy for the benefit of all yet we let them waste their knowledge in the barracks”, he emphasised.

He further emphasised that most developed countries were successful with the management of their economy by the active participation of the military in the industrial revolution of those countries, adding that same could be done in the country.

Dr Quainoo who is also  a partner of the DIHOC project recalled that Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah established the Ghana Industries Holding Corporation (GIHOC) under which he set up many industries to lead in the industry drive of the country but those industries have collapsed while others have been left to rot.

“It is really sad to note that all the factories intended for the production of wide variety of products have collapsed while others have been left to rot in many parts of the country yet we complain Ghana is a poor nation”, he bemoaned.

He, therefore, urged the government to support the GAF to work towards reviving the hundreds of collapsed industries to advanced growth and development of the country and Ghanaians.

He said while the government concentrated on the private sector to build a vibrant economy, it should also support the DIHOC project so the country will be firm to manage its economy well.

Again, he called on the government to do its best to get the minds of Ghanaians to be more patriotic and cited that the Japanese had become industrialised powerful in the world because it blocked out the world and focused on building its country.

From records, among the early post-independence era industries established by Dr Nkrumah which have collapsed or become desolate are Tema Food Complex, the State Housing Corporation (SHC), the State Construction Corporation (SCC), State Fisheries, the Takoradi Paper Mill, the Takoradi Flour Mill, the Tema Flour Mill and the Glass Factory at Aboso.

Others are: Saltpond Ceramics, AkokoFoto, Pomadze Poultry Farm, Amrahia Dairy, the Aveyime Cattle Ranch, the Kade Match Factory, Tema Steel Works, State Hotels, the Kumasi Jute Factory, the Kumasi Shoe Factory, the Pwallugu Tomato Factory, the Nsawam Cannery, Brick and Tile Factories and the Pre-fabricated Concrete Products.