Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo says Ghana’s failure to sustain value addition has cost the country decades of industrial progress.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, she insisted the country once had a clear path to industrial growth but abandoned it.

“If we had kept going with that concept of value addition, we would be very far ahead of where we are now.”

“It’s never too late. It’s never too late,” she said, adding, “I am in full agreement with the President on that.”

Drawing from her lifetime experience, she recalled a period when Ghana processed raw materials locally and built industries around them.

“I have seen within this country, in my lifetime, a face in this country, where from whatever processing, raw processing of raw materials, few, what can be done, the industries that get spun off.”

“Even with the main product, inspect in respect of which the main industry exists, what benefits it gives, what volumes you can export, how you can conquer markets within the region, within the continent, and even across to other parts of the world.”

She cited the oil refinery as an example of what value addition can achieve.

“For example, oil refinery, it leads to petroleum jellies, tyre and bitumen, it leads to all the other things, you know, refined the product, refined products of crude kerosene.”

Ghana, she said, once produced jet fuel locally.

“There were airlines which would stop in Ghana just to top up on jet fuel, for example, because jet fuel was being produced here.”

Her message was direct.

“We should stop this thing of exporting raw materials and then sitting here and using money to import finished products. Let’s finish the products here, too.”

On concerns about capital and foreign investors, she said local value addition must remain the focus.

“Even if you have to do that, the value is being added here. It’s the terms you’re going to insist on.”

She referenced TOR as a major employer that supported several spin-off industries.

“But even with that, the TOR was one of the best employers in the country,” she said and listed plastics and petroleum jelly among byproducts that supported other sectors.

“Lipstick was being produced in Ghana. All kinds of things were being produced in Ghana.”

Turning to gold, she said smelting locally must be matched by skills development.

“Our jewellers are going to have to also invest in their know-how to produce beautiful jewellery,” noting that the University of Science and Technology has long had a jewellery section.

However, she said the scale was limited because resources were exported directly.

“Because the government was taking everything and then putting it straight, and sometimes from Obuasi straight to the airport.”

She lamented the lack of variety in local showrooms.

“Every time you went to their showroom, you felt disappointed, because variety isn’t there.”

Meanwhile, she pointed out that Ghanaian gold fills shops abroad.

“If you go to shops in Dubai, there’s gold everywhere, but they don’t mine gold there. Most of their gold is from here.”

She said new markets could open if skills are upgraded.

“A lot of tourists and first-time visitors to Ghana get very disappointed that we don’t really have a gold jewellery market.”

When it was suggested that Obuasi missed the opportunity, her response was sharp.

“Big time!”