Nomo Amate Apedo Ayornu, Libi Wornor (Chief Priest) of the Ada Teekperbiawe Clan, with the Stool Father and allodial owners of the Songor Lagoon, says the entire clan will disrespect three mining leases the government, through the Minerals Commission, has granted to Electrochem Ghana Limited, a Ghanaian investor.
Any further machinations by the powers that be to get only Electrochem Ghana Limited to start operating in the Lagoon, the clan warned, could spark a similar gruesome incident of May 17, 1985, when they bravely struggled to resist the takeover of the Lagoon by Vacuum Salt through dubious means.
At a news conference by the Terkperbiawe Clan at Bonikope, West Ada, the center of the 1985 historical incident, Nomo Ayornu said: “Together with Nomo Tetteh Ablerdu Ayornu, Terkperbiawe Clan Stool Father, chiefs, elders and youth living along the 70 towns, villages and settlements along the Songor Lagoon Basin, wish to draw attention to three mining leases granted to a company owned by Mr Daniel McKorley of McDan Shipping Limited.
“The whole of the Songor Lagoon and its adjoining lands, from Nakomkope through Bonikope, Toflokpo, Luhuor, Lufenya, Medie, Totope, Aminapa, Pute, Taminor, Wasakuse, Togloku, Kwalaakpoyom, Obane to Adedetsekope and beyond, have been given to only Electrochem Ghana Limited, whose owner has a high political connection in the current government. The size of the area leased to him is 158.5 square kiliometres, more than twice what some years ago the government released to Vacuum Salts which sparked our anger.”
According to the Libi Wornor, the spokesperson of the Ada Traditional Council and the Terkperbiawe Westoyi (the clan representative on the Council) deceived them that only the Songor Salt Project Area was leased to Electrochem Ghana Limited.
He said their attention was later drawn to contrary reports when, on Sunday, illegal rites were performed, without the consent of the Terkperbiawe Clan -the allodial owners- to give the investor right of entry to start work on the 158.5sq km Songor Lagoon Basin.
“Most of the media widely published the event. But, we, the Terkperbiawe Clan, stand here today i.e., Tuesday, to demand the implementation and proposals of the ‘Master Plan for Salt Development in Ghana’, which details how the Songor Lagoon should be managed for the benefit of all, and not for the benefit of one investor.
“Also, we, the Terkperbiawe Clan, want to state unequivocally that the Ada Paramountcy does not own a teaspoon of land in the Ada State. Therefore, it has no right to sign an agreement on our behalf with Electrochem Ghana Limited. Let nobody joke with us on this matter, because this similar injustice happened to us many years ago, when the actors used the same methods to manipulate the Ada Traditional Council and some chiefs to achieve their aims. This struggle has reared its ugly head again, and we will resist it with all our might.
“In our thousands, whose livelihoods depend on the Lagoon, will remember Sister Margaret Kowornu, who was shot and killed by the police during the struggle to have our Songor back in 1985, and the late Nene Korle II, who was harassed extensively for disagreeing to the takeover of the Lagoon through dubious means.”
The Libi Wornor advised that the government, through the Minerals Commission, consult the ‘Master Plan’ and also consult the Terkperbiawe Clan, because both agree on the recommendations in the Master Plan.
“The recommendations are well-documented, properly disseminated, and wholly accepted by all the chiefs, elders, youth and people living along the Songor Lagoon Basin whose livelihoods depend on the Songor. All the three leases granted to Electrochem Ghana Limited, signed on our behalf by the Ada Paramountcy, will not be respected by us. We want them terminated for the adoption and implementation of the Master Plan for Salt Development in Ghana, for the sake of peace.
“Until that is done, nobody should blame us if we revisit 1985 with our fierce resistance.”
Meanwhile, a powerful person at the Ada Traditional Council, who later spoke to a section of the media on condition of anonymity at the paramountcy, said he would rather remain quiet on the matter.
“Tempers are high, so I will remain silent,” the unmentioned person told his media guests in Ada, the local dialect.
The post Ada clans raise red flag over takeover of Songor Lagoon by Electrochem appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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