Workers of the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO) have strongly opposed what they describe as a quiet attempt to sell the state-owned smelter, insisting that the company is “not for sale by stealth.”
In a press statement dated January 9, 2026, the VALCO Local Union criticised a recent announcement by the Ghana Integrated Aluminium Development Corporation (GIADEC) claiming that strategic investors had been secured to modernise VALCO and develop an alumina refinery.
The union said the announcement was made without consultation with workers or their representatives, describing the process as opaque, hurried, and suggestive of concealed privatisation.
According to the workers, no transparent valuation, stakeholder engagement, or involvement of an independent transaction advisor preceded the move, raising concerns about governance and accountability. They also expressed alarm over reports that sections of VALCO’s land could be earmarked for redevelopment under the banner of an industrial park initiative.
The union appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to intervene, stating their belief that he would not endorse any action that compromises transparency or workers’ interests. They further called on the Director-General of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), Professor Michael Kpessa-Whyte, to urgently investigate GIADEC’s handling of VALCO.
Describing VALCO as a national asset and a legacy of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the workers pledged to resist any attempt to dispose of the company without due process.
“VALCO is more than a factory; it is a national heritage. We will not stand by and watch it dismantled under our watch,” the statement concluded.
