The project, is being undertaken by a Ghanaian-owned limited liability company, Rhovanni Royal Limited, which specialises in the production of clay products such as bricks, terracotta tiles, pavers, panelling, roofing and ceiling tiles, among others.

Briefing journalists after the inspection by the President, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Mr Carl Christian Lokko, said the factory was being constructed with an $18-million Exim Bank loan.

He said the factory had already acquired a 37.79-acre clay land and 80 acres of land at different locations in the area which could feed it for more than 50 years.

He said it was estimated that the factory, expected to be completed by November this year, would produce about 125 tonnes of clay products per day.

Employment

Mr Lokko said the company was expected to employ 100 graduates and about 400 factory workers, in addition to creating 1,200 indirect jobs for people living in the area and beyond.

"Our vision is to lead the bricks industry in Ghana and the West African sub-region as a convenient source of quality bricks products with excellent customer service," he said.

He added that the company had put in place measures to become the best in clay manufacturing in the country to serve as a vehicle for the implementation of Ghana's clay industry project for sustainable development.

Mr Lokko said currently, work had been completed on the offices and other infrastructure as the first phase of the project.

"We are waiting for the second tranche of the Exim facility to enable us to start the installation of the factory machines to begin production," he said.

Deplorable infrastructure

At Yamfo, also in the Tano North District, the Omanhene of the area, Nana Ansa Adu Baah, appealed to the government to rehabilitate the road network in the town.

He also called for the construction of dormitories for the Yamfo College of Health and the Yamfo Anglican Senior High School for the two institutions to increase their intake.

Later at separate durbars held in honour of President Akufo-Addo in Duayaw Nkwanta in the Tano North District and Bechem in the Tano South municipality, the chiefs also called for the road network in the two areas to be rehabilitated.

Responding to their appeals, the President said the government was alive to its responsibility of rehabilitating a number of roads across the country.

He said with the launch of the roads rehabilitation exercise under the Sinohydro Master Support Agreement, some roads which had deteriorated would be rehabilitated.

Creation of Ahafo Region

President Akufo-Addo commended the chiefs and the people of the region for the unity exhibited during the December 2018 referendum which ensured an overwhelming ‘Yes’ vote for the creation of the region.

He charged them to continue to exhibit the same unity now that the region had been created, since, without that, they would not realise the objectives for which they fought for the creation of the region.

For his part, the Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Evans Opoku-Bobbie, on behalf of the chiefs and the people of the region, thanked the government for the creation of the region.

"For over 40 years we have been agitating for a separate region. You promised the people during the 2016 electioneering and you have fulfilled your promise," he said.

Everywhere the President visited during his tour of the region, the chiefs and the people could not hide their joy for the new region they had and thanked him for that.

Earlier, the President and his entourage had visited Kenyasi, where a durbar was held in his honour.