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Mr. Abraham Koomson, General Secretary of the Textiles, Garment and Leather Employees’ Union (TGLEU), has rubbished claims that he said President Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo-Addo wore a fake African wear to a recent programme.

The General Secretary, in an interview yesterday told the DAILY HERITAGE that he had a heated discussion with one of the Deputy Ministers of Trade and Industry over smuggling of African fabrics when the issue of the President’s African wear cropped up.

“For all you know they have been buying the smuggled clothes for the old man to wear because he will not know the fabric he is wearing,” Mr Koomson said.

He said though the President may have very good intentions of promoting made-in-Ghana goods, he would not know whether he was wearing Chinese products or not.

“When it is not manufactured here, how will you know whether it is manufactured locally or not? You will not be able to tell whether it is China except that you will feel the texture to tell the difference. This time they have improved upon it and they are producing quality fabrics except that their prices are cheaper than our own,” he explained.

Mr Koomson said that the union would demonstrate tomorrow, July 12, 2017, against the government’s inability to publish policy guidelines to regulate the importation and sale of African textile prints to forestall counterfeiting, smuggling and dumping of the fabrics on the country, which had over the years destroyed the local manufacturing industry to the detriment of workers and the economy.

He said “the deadline given by the ministry for the release of the policy was June 30, 2017 but all efforts by our union to get explanation for the undue delays have proven futile. Under the circumstances the union is compelled to express its frustrations by organising a demonstration.”

He explained that 300 workers will tomorrow demonstrates across the streets of Circle (Obra Spot), Farisco (Adabraka), Trade Union Congress, Ministries and to the Accra Hearts of Oak Park.

The General Secretary added that 50 workers will also picket at the Ministry of Trade and Industry forecourt on July 13, 2017.