President John Dramani Mahama has called for a comprehensive audit of the Buipe Sheanut Factory, a $10 million agribusiness facility that has ceased operations.
Established in 2012 through a partnership between the Government of Ghana and Sysgate Brazil Limited, the factory was designed to process sheanuts and create employment opportunities, particularly for women in the Savannah region.
During a meeting with the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee, and Sheanut Farmers Association (COCOSHE), President Mahama accused the Nana Addo-led administration of mismanaging the factory after taking over in 2016.
He alleged that the administration spent the factory’s capital and sold off its stock of sheanuts, which could have been processed to generate revenue.
This mismanagement, he claimed, led to the factory’s closure and the laying off of workers.
“The factory was running well. It had capital, it had stock of sheanut, it was processing when the change of government happened. The new administration spent the capital and sold the stock of sheanut to another factory, collecting that money and spending it too. After exhausting both the capital and raw materials, the factory had to shut down.”
Mahama emphasized the need for accountability, stating that if the factory had been privately owned, it might still be operational.
He believes the audit will identify those responsible for the financial loss and ensure they are held accountable.
