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The violent confrontation, bloodshed and animosity add to the nightmare residents say they are dealing with following the release of 41,000 acres of the Ada Songor lagoon to ElectroChem Ghana Limited.
Principal stakeholders including the Terkperbiawe clan, Ada Songor Lagoon Association, Dangme East Salt Producers Association, and traditional authorities among others have sent SOS to parliament to have the issues addressed.
They told Joy News that the utmost solution is the adoption of the master plan for salt development in Ghana to forestall peace and improve the livelihood of residents.
At a joint briefing at Medie in the Ada East District, the Secretary of Ada Songor Lagoon Association, Ebenezer Adjaottor said no amount of intimidation will silence them.
“The three leases granted to ElectroChem Ltd are legally questionable because the project does not advance objectives of PNDC Law 287 which envisages the development of salt industry in Ada with both small and large-scale salt producers participation”
According to him, they will continue to contest the 2020 agreement.
“We will continue to challenge the legitimacy of these illegal leases and agreements in the law courts and call for the faithful implementation of the law and its tenets.”
The groups raised issues with the work of the joint committee on Energy and Mines and Land and Forestry but expressed faith in the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin to find an amicable solution.
The groups are, however, surprised by the deafening silence of the Ada traditional council on the happenings in the area including attacks at Madagber-Salom on February 5, 2021.
This particular event left over a dozen people with gunshot and machete wounds.
Ebenezer Adjaottor on behalf of the groups revealed chiefs and opinion leaders who oppose the salt mining agreement become targets citing the gruesome murder of Numo Korletey Agormeda on November 6, 2023, at Toflokpo.
These and a list of incidents he said have destroyed once healthy relationships amongst the traditional authorities leading to the suspension of some heads.
These include the chief of Toflokpo, Nene Dadebom Anim II, the queen mother and divisional chief of the Terkperbiawe clan, Naana Korlekie Korley I and Nene Korley IV respectively.
Secretary, Ebenezer Adjaottor was hopeful that the Speaker of Parliament’s directive to have a committee on Religious Affairs and Chieftaincy look into the Songor issue will address lingering issues eventually.
The groups were quite disappointed to share that the flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama was prevented from using the memorial ground of the late Margaret Kuwornu and meeting members of the Ada Songor Lagoon Association due to the rift.
The briefing also touched on the implication of the listing of ElectroChem on the Ghana Stock Exchange, out grower scheme and others.
Meanwhile, residents last Friday chased out some workers and equipment of ElectroChem in what could have been another bloody encounter but for the presence of the police.
Information available to JoyNews indicates that residents were incensed as the workers and equipment were desecrating an area considered sacred.
Source: Myjoyonline
