President inaugurates GIHOC Distilleries production plant
President John Dramani Mahama last Thursday inaugurated a new production plant for the GIHOC Distilleries and dispelled the perception that state enterprises could not perform effectively.
Advertisement
The plant, which is expected to improve production, was an outcome of the five-year strategic plan of the company.
GIHOC Distilleries is one of the 15 sub-divisions of the GIHOC Ghana Limited established by Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s CPP government.
With the exception of the distilleries, which remained state owned, the remaining 14 have been divested after years of mismanagement and decay.
“I feel proud”
“So today as I stand here, I feel a sense of pride about what we have been able to do as a people,” the President said at the inauguration, which formed part of his accounting to the people tour of the Greater Accra Region.
The President said his vision was to recapture the dream of Dr Nkrumah “and we are doing it step by step” either through operating fully state-owned enterprises or through public private partnership.
He commended the board and management of the company for working hard to bring the company this far.
“All is about leadership. If you have the right leadership in place that captures the confidence of workers, you will be on the path of success,” he said.
Revitalising factories
President Mahama said systematically, the programme to revitalise some of the old state factories was on course.
He mentioned the Kumasi Shoe Factory and the Komenda Sugar Factory as examples of the strides the government was making in that respect.
The Tema Oil Refinery was also doing well, the President said, while the State Transport Company (STC) was in line for resurgence as 50 new buses had been ordered to augment its fleet.
But he was quick to speak against attempts by some people to spell doom for the sugar factory when efforts put in place to run the factory indicated a bright future for the facility.
He said naysayers who were quick to write off the factory would be disappointed.
Journey of success
The Managing Director of the company, Madam Kate Simmons, said the company, which was established in 1958, was on a journey of progress.
Currently, it has a workforce of 312 with majority of them being women.
Madam Simmons said the company was determined to grow and help in the further development of the nation.
Other activities
President Mahama also inaugurated the Millennium School at Mamprobi, inspected the SSNIT-sponsored Gym Complex site, interacted with the fishing community and residents of Chorkor and its environs, inspected work on the Teshie-Manet-Spintex road, and called on the La Mantse and his elders as he rounded off his tour of the region.
