Mr. James Osei, Assembly Member for the Manso Mem Domi Electoral Area, has expressed concern about the deteriorating condition of the Palm Oil Extraction Facility at Manso Mem in the Amansie South District of the Ashanti Region.
He described the current situation of the factory as “a wasted investment that is fast deteriorating after being left unused for nearly a year”.
The facility, inaugurated on December 04, 2024, by the former District Chief Executive (DCE) Mr Clement Opoku Gyamfi, in collaboration with the traditional leaders in the area, was designed to provide a central processing hub for palm farmers.
It was also expected to create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs for the youth in Manso Mem and surrounding communities.
However, less than a year after the colourful inauguration, the facility has been left idle, with its expensive machines gathering rust and the site overrun by weeds.
The situation has triggered widespread disappointment among residents, who had pinned their hopes on the project for jobs and improved livelihoods.
During a media interaction after inspecting the facility, Mr Osei expressed grave concern, warning that, the continued neglect could lead to a total breakdown of the machines.
“This facility was meant to transform the lives of our farmers and the youth, but today it is rotting away in the bush.
The machines are rusting because they have not been used.
Government has spent millions of cedis here, and to see it abandoned is heartbreaking,” he said.
Mr Osei attributed the failure of the project to the District Assembly’s inability to connect water to the facility, a key requirement for its operations.
“All this is happening because water was not connected.
It is shocking that such a small but crucial step has been overlooked.
If urgent action is not taken, this project will collapse completely” and appealed for urgent action to revive the facility.
Source: Access Agric
