The Acting General Manager of the Kumasi Shoe Factory has dissented from the claims by the Defence Minister, blaming it for the deplorable state of the company.

Mr Dominic Nitiwul had told the press last week that the ineffectiveness of the company’s management was the reason for its deplorable state.

The Minister said the Armed Forces who are also shareholders of the company have been sidelined, with no accounts rendered to private managers of the facility.

Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul

There are only 49 workers left from the 200 that used to work at the factory following its refurbishment in 2012.

He blamed management for the development, but the acting General Manager disagrees.

Nii Konnie Laryea said the company is in the state it is due to the lack of patronage of its products by the same security agencies they produce for.

Addressing a press conference on Monday, the acting General Manager said “it is a fact that all the government security agencies, including the Ghana Police, Ghana National Fire Service, Prisons Service, the Immigration Service and even the Ghana Armed Forces still order their boots and shoes from China and India.”

He said at the commencement of work following the refurbishment, the company’s projection was to increase its workforce from 200 to 800 within  three years, “however, the security agencies which constitute our primary market have refused to buy our boots and shoes.”

Mr Laryea said the absence of a definite policy to compel these security agencies and other government agencies to purchase their products should be blamed for the current state of the company, not otherwise.

“It is therefore unfair that the management of the company will be blamed for having reduced the workforce of the company from 200 to 49,” he added.