Simiw Chief Questions Delay In Komenda Sugar Factory Operations Despite KEEA’s High-Profile Personalities In Government

By Dominic Duut |Noblenews

The Chief of Simiw and Adontehene of the Edina Traditional Area, Nana Nguando IV, has expressed frustration over the continued delay in the full operation of the Komenda Sugar Factory.

Speaking at the grand durbar of the 2026 Simiw Enyankor Festival held under the theme “Celebrating Our Heritage, Promoting Unity and Accelerating Sustainable Development,” the Chief said the prolonged delay has become a major concern for residents, especially farmers and the youth who had expected jobs and economic opportunities from the facility.

He questioned why a project of such economic importance should remain underutilized when the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem (KEEA) Municipality has produced prominent personalities in the current government, including Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang and Member of Parliament for KEEA, Hon. Samuel Atta Mills.

According to Nana Nguando IV, the presence of such influential figures should translate into stronger attention to the developmental challenges facing the area, including the revival of industries capable of creating jobs.

He said the Komenda Sugar Factory has the potential to serve as a major economic driver for the municipality if properly operationalised and called on government and stakeholders to address the outstanding challenges to ensure sustainable operations.

“The people of KEEA need more than promises. Development projects must translate into tangible economic opportunities for residents,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Mrs. Maame Efua Houadjeto, announced plans to conduct research into the historical significance of Simiw in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

She said reports indicate that enslaved Africans transited through Simiw to Elmina, and the Authority intends to investigate the claim. If confirmed, she said, Simiw will be considered in the GTA’s tourism development projects.

Mr. Aquinas Hanson Jnr., Executive Secretary to the CEO of the National Petroleum Authority, Mr. Godwin Edudzi Tameklo, who represented his boss, said there are advanced plans to engage unemployed youth in the area in apprenticeship programmes.

Credit:Eric Annan, Central Regional Correspondent