Member of Parliament (MP) for Lawra and Deputy Minister-designate for Roads and Highways, Anthony Abayifa Karbo believes it is feasible to establish dog meat factories in the three Northern regions, as part of government’s much-touted one factory per each of the 216 districts across Ghana initiative.
Such a move, Anthony Karbo insists, could help reduce the current rate of unemployment in the three Northern Regions. He had already proposed the need to build such factories when his party was in opposition, prior to last year’s general elections, when the NPP first proposed its 1-district-1-factory policy.
The nominee, who was facing the Appointments Committee of Parliament during his vetting, got all of them in stitches with rationalizations on the call for the setting up of dog meat factories.
According to him, since every district was going to benefit from the resources they had in abundance, it would not be out of place to establish such factories in the Frafra and Dagaaba dominated areas of the country where dog meat is the topmost delicacy.
Expatiating more on his suggestion, Mr Karbo stated that though earlier, it was made in jest, in response to the pessimism of Bolgatanga Central MP, Isaac Adongo over the policy; upon reflection, he felt such a factory would not be a bad idea because the dog meat could be potentially exported to China, Korea and other parts of Asia, where it (dog meat) is already a delicacy.
“Mr. Chairman you recall when Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo [now president] announced the one-district one-factory, our friends from the other side [NDC] thought it was just a political lie and they rubbished the idea. But analyzing the situation, I know a mango factory in Kintampo will be perfect since they produce that in larger quantities” he said.
“The same way, you know Dagartis and Frafras are play mates and some honorable friends [MPs] here will admit that dog meat is a delicacy, and a huge delicacy in Korea and China. Dog meat is an exportable product. Let’s put all jokes aside, I have lived in Bolga for so many years and I know there are dog hunters in Bolga who go around buying dogs and hunting for dogs. It’s a big delicacy,” he added.
The Lawra MP also suggested a similar factory in the Volta Region – “We could also have a cat meat factory in the Volta Region”.
This drew laughter from members on the committee with a mirthful Hon Okudzeto Ablakwa, NDC MP for South Tongu strongly kicking against the idea – “Mr Chairman, he should leave us out…he should leave us out of that please…Karbo, you better leave us out”.
The nominee was however emphatic that his call was not a ‘joke’ when asked by the Minority Leader, Hon Haruna Iddrisu if really that would be taken up as an industrial engagement by the Nana Addo-led government
“Mr. Chairman, I think that my playmates, the Frafras will understand this,” he said.
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