Retirees, EPA Sabotaging Operations of Empire Cement-South West MacCarthy Hills Residents

Residents of South West MacCarthy Hills in the Weija-Gbawe enclave are calling on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and President Akufo-Addo to grant a temporary permit to Empire Cement Ghana Limited to start operations.

The residents accused the people living in the mountains, who mostly are retirees from abroad, of sabotaging the existence and commencement of operations of the company.

Speaking to the media on Thursday morning at the company’s premises in Panbros, the president of the Residents Association of the South West MacCarthy Hills, Kweku Danso, pleaded with the government to as a matter of urgency give the permit to the company to help it start full operations and also absorb the unemployed youth in the area.

According to Mr. Danso, the retirees are alleging that their operations when allowed to operate will cause a lot of environmental pollution or degradation, which will later cause them to suffer from respiratory diseases.

He also accused the CEO of the EPA of taking sides on the issue and making pronouncements in the media in favour of the retirees, claiming that it was for that reason that he was recently asked to step aside for investigations by a committee.

“The factory is waiting for a recommendation given by the ministrial committee set up by the Minister upon petition of Empire Cement. Empire Cement petitioned the Minister by law, which they could do because the EPA boss took their side. The EPA boss, we have evidence was colluding with those upstairs in MacCarthy Hills to ensure that the cement factory never came on line”.

“Now we do think that that is a fair position for the EPA boss to take, being the EPA Director. He should be neutral and investigate things himself. He didn’t. He went on air, being heard on radio and TV stations saying things about the company, “Mr. Danso added.

Mr. Danso said residents who were invited by the committee to ask for their consent for the siting of the company all declared their support for the company, considering the measures the company said it was going to put in place to control environmental pollution.

“The committee invited all of us, the residents of the area, and we offered our support in favor of the factory after the company engaged the residents association to interview us and brief us on the type of technology they are going to use that will not cause any environmental hazards to our health, being the communities closest to the factory, Mendskrom and South West MacCarthy Hills Tetegu,” he stressed.

He stated further that the residents believe the committee has completed its work and are now ready to give the company the green light to operate.