According to a letter to the District Commander of Police for Adjen Kotoku, the two-hour long peaceful demonstration will commence at 8 am from the main Kutunse-Satellite junction along the Amasaman-Kumasi highway.

[contextly_sidebar id=”tF7J8ZLCW8X9Oizcj6yvLs1YFNsG8MG3″]The letter added that the residents will then proceed with the peaceful march through the main street to the Koans Estates and return to the main entrance of Happy Sunshine Company Limited, the tomato company being protested against.

“Sir, it is our view that the operations of happy sunshine company limited, in apparent defiance of a cessation order [a copy of which is attached to this letter] Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the company’s management, constitute not only a matter of egregious violate the sanctity of Ghana’s laws, but also a brazen challenge to the revered authority of the state of Ghana,” the letter said.

The EPA shut down the facility after a series of Citi News reports had revealed that the company was operating illegally in the residential area.

A notice of closure has been posted on the doors and walls of the factory after officials of the EPA, accompanied by the police went to the premises.

However, despite the order from the EPA and complaints from the residents, the factory has reopened and is operating again, with the support of the Ga West Municipal Assembly led by the District Chief Executive, Clement Wilkinson.

This has prompted the residents to threaten a suit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the owners of the facility as well as the Municipal Assembly.

‘Relocate’

The EPA had earlier held a closed-door meeting between management of the factory where the company was directed to move its operations to an industrial area, as their current location has not been zoned for such activities.

The Principal Programmes Officer at the Accra Regional office of the EPA, Sophia Vanderpuye, who confirmed the directive to Citi News on Tuesday, said: “At the meeting, it was made very clear to them that the site where they are operating is not appropriate for the kind of manufacturing activity that is going on there is wrong. We had got evidence of the thick smoke that was emanating from their chimneys into the atmosphere, and with the accompanying noise issues. Based on these, they were made to understand that the EPA cannot permit such an activity in a predominately residential area so they have to relocate.”

“They must find an appropriate location, most preferably, an industrial area where they can conveniently produce. The Assemblies have already zoned the areas.”

The tomato factory was fined GHc 15,000 by the EPA in August 2017 for operating illegally, whilst the company was also ordered to halt any form of production.

However, the management of the factory violated that order and resumed full production in November.

Residents at Korleman City, an estate at Kuntunse in the Ga West Municipality, where the Chinese factory operates, had raised concerns about how the activities of the company were affecting them.

By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Kuntunse residents to demonstrate against illegal tomato factory appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The demands of the residents and home owners at a meeting on Sunday, are consistent with a written Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) order to the Happy Sunshine Company Ltd to shut down and relocate.

The demands came after Clement Wilkinson, the MCE, confirmed at Sunday’s meeting that the factory does not have an EPA permit to operate in the area, but said his office could not immediately compel the factory to stop its unlawful operations for reasons he could not state at the meeting.

In very clear words, the residents told the MCE they may be forced to take all possible lawful actions necessary to protect their interests and their environment if the MCE’s office will not perform its responsibilities.

One of the residents complained that because the “entity is not a legal entity; it has no permit to operate.”

“This is an illegal entity so we have the powers to just walk in, ask them to stop work until things that need to be done are done. I don’t think it is a legal entity where we should be dragging our feet or dialoging,” he charged the MCE.

Another angry resident complained that some of them have had to relocate their wards from schools closer to the factory due to the emissions of smoke.

“They are not in Ghana according to law, so if the thing does not exist why do you allow it to operate? All of us are family people here. We spent hard earned money to get our properties here. We have our families here. Somebody has had to relocate his son from the school behind the factory. Do you know the inconvenience it is causing to him let alone those who live close to that area? Somebody is complaining of infections and all that. This is a serious matter. When you talk like that, it makes us seem that you don’t have our interest at heart. It might seem as if we are being rude or aggressive but it is a serious matter for us,” another resident added.

EPA shuts down factory

The EPA had earlier directed the Happy Sunshine Tomato Company managed by Chinese expatriates to relocate from the area.

The EPA shut down the facility after a series of Citi News reports revealed that the company was operating illegally in the residential area, but the firm opened again after the DCE;s intervention.

The residents had also threatened to head to court in a bid to stop the unlawful operations in the area.

–

By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Angry Kutunse residents charge MCE to relocate tomato factory appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.