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BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN WEBUYE KOMBO 24/3/2005
The minister for local government Mr Musikari Kombo has called for calm and order at the troubled Nzoia sugar company.
Mr Kombo commenting on the controversy between workers and management which led to the closure of the factory last week,said it requires sanity to reach a lasting solution.
The minister appealed to workers to give the board of directors amble time to sort out any differences they have with management but should not resort to industrial action.
Mr Kombo who is the Webuye Mp, which is part of the Nzoia outgrower sugar scheme said farmers are happy with the management because they have cleared the backlog of outstanding debts.
Addressing parents and students of Sitikho location schools, the minister defended the record of management for paying farmers for the delivered cane and clearing the 1999-2002 accumulated debt.
He said what is important to farmers is to have management which is responding to thier problems and called on workers not to misled other stakeholders and create confusion at the firm.
The Ford-K chairman denied having played any part in the appointment of Mr Josphat Akoyo as the managing diretor last year.
"I never prevailed upon the board of diretors to appoint the MD but we are impressed with his perfomance" he said .
The local leaders he went on, are satisfied with farmers payments which has been a headache for a long period.
He explained that the shs.300million released by the government last year was paid satisfactorily and the on going payment programme for delivered cane is within the stipulated 30 days waiting period.
The minister toured Muji, Milo , Sitikho, Mangana and Ngwelo secondary schools and Kakimanyi &Mukite primary schools were he promised to construct tuition blocks each using constituency development funds .
Workers at the company last week paralysed operations demanding the sacking of Mr Akoyo accusing him of harrasing and indimidating union officials.
The board chairman Mr Burudi Nabwera has defended the MD and dismissed the calls to have him removed.
Mr Nabwera said that Mr Akoyo has changed the fortunes of the company which was on the verge of colapsing due to coruption and mismanagement by former managers.
Farmers have joined the workers caling for the MDs removal saying that he has failed to clear the 1999-2002 accumulated debts.
Their representatives maintain that not all farmers benefited from the shs.300million because company employees tampered with the records leaving out most of them.