A raging fire has gutted part of the Akosombo Textiles Limited (ATL) factory in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region last night .
The incident, which occurred around 9:00 p.m.,Wednesday took personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) several hours to bring under control, with the flames finally subdued around midnight.
However smoke is still billowing as at 4:00am due to some highly combustible materials at the department.
Firefighting efforts were hampered by logistical challenges, as the fire tender at Akosombo was grounded, forcing emergency responders to rely on tenders from the Volta River Authority (VRA) and Kpong Fire Station.
According to eyewitnesses, the fire started at the Spinning Department of the company.
Although the exact cause is yet to be determined, sources at the factory suspect it may have been linked to oxy-acetylene welding work being used to dismantle some machinery allegedly meant to be sold as scrap.
The incident has deepened concerns among workers about ongoing dismantling and sale of valuable factory equipment.
They claim that over 620 pieces of pure copper rollers, each weighing between 65kg and 79kg, along with several motors and cylinders used in the Real Wax section, have been sold as scrap in 2024 .
Despite a government injection of GH¢17 million in 2018 to revitalize the company, ATL continues to struggle with financial obligations, including salary payments and bonuses.
Currently, the company owes workers six months salaries .
Last year,the workers protested against unpaid bonus cash allowances spanning from 2021 to 2023 and management’s failure to remit tier 2 contributions deducted from salaries since 2021.
The workers staged a peaceful sit-down strike on Thursday, February 15, 2024, demanding clarity and resolution from management on their grievances above.
Meanwhile the Deputy Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Asuogyaman Thomas Nyarko Ampem in recent engagement at the constituency assured that government will soon revive Akosombo and Juapon Textile to produce high quality African prints for both local and international markets and create job opportunities.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
