President John Dramani Mahama has directed a comprehensive audit of the Buipe Sheanut Factory following its shutdown, accusing the previous administration of mismanaging the facility’s funds and resources.
The factory, a US$10 million agribusiness venture launched in 2012 through a partnership between the Government of Ghana and Sysgate Brazil Limited, was intended to boost sheanut processing and create employment opportunities, particularly for women in the Savannah Region. However, the factory is currently non-operational, with Mahama blaming financial mismanagement under the Nana Addo-led administration.
According to the President, the incoming government in 2016 not only depleted the factory’s working capital but also sold off its stock of sheanuts—raw materials that could have sustained production and generated revenue.
Speaking during a meeting with the Ghana Cocoa, Coffee, and Sheanut Farmers Association (COCOSHE), Mahama stressed the need for accountability, emphasizing that those responsible for the facility’s decline must be held accountable.
“The factory was running well. It had capital, it had stock of sheanut, and it was actively processing when the government changed. The new management spent the capital, sold off the stock of sheanut, and used the proceeds. When there was nothing left, the factory was forced to shut down, laying off workers,” Mahama stated.
He further criticized the handling of public resources, arguing that a privately owned facility would not have suffered the same fate.
“This is an example of what not to do when managing public resources. If this factory had been privately owned, it would still be operational. We must audit the factory, identify those responsible for this financial loss to the state, and hold them accountable,” he added.
The audit is expected to shed light on the mismanagement that led to the factory’s closure and determine the next steps in reviving the facility for the benefit of the sheanut industry and local economy.
