The Libiwornnor of the Ada Traditional Area, Numor Amate Apedo Ayornu, and the Stool Father, Numor Tetteh Abledu Ayornu of the Tekpebiawe Clan, and elders have appealed to the government to cancel three mining leases it recently granted Electrochem Ghana Limited on the Songor Lagoon for 15 years, and rather implement the master plan, which was formulated to cater for the interests of all.
This faction is of the view that the project site, covering an area of about 39,126.66 acres of land, which comprises the entire Songor Lagoon and other communities in the Ada West and East in the Greater Accra Region, has been leased to the company for salt farming and other activities.
Addressing the media at Ada, the Libi Wornor, also known as the Salt Priest, alleged that the three lease agreements between the government and the said company mandated it (Electrochem) to engage in salt farming and related activities for 15 years in the Songor Lagoon without following the due process of consulting the custodians of the lagoon and surrounding communities.
“The Songor Lagoon belongs to the people of Ada, and we, the people, were not informed of any decision to lease the lagoon to any investor. It is like going to somebody’s home through the window, although there are doors available,” he said.
According to him, a similar event, which occurred in the 1980s, led to the deaths of several persons, which culminated in the development of a master plan for the government and the people of Ada, but has not been duly implemented.
The Salt Priest, who was installed over 28 years ago, claims it falls within the remit of the custodian of the lagoon to perform the necessary rites to enable any entity interested in farming and winning salt to be able to do so.
He added: “They know all these things, so the proper thing should be done. The Songor Lagoon belongs to the Tekpebiawe Clan and not for anybody, so even if the government wants to lease any part to any individual or company, we should be respected and recognised as the owners, so that any investor goes through the right process by engaging with the right people.”
Scores of people in the community also expressed their displeasure at the government for leasing Songor Lagoon and the surrounding lands to Electrochem Ghana Limited for salt farming.
One of the salt winners said the lease to the company would affect his source of livelihood, as the family’s main source of income comes from salt farming and winning, and so they would be denied their very source of survival.
“My family and I depend on this salt business for our livelihood, and this is what our great grandparents to our fathers have been doing to take care of their families, so I don’t know how and what we are going to do to take care of ourselves and our families,” he said. “We will, therefore, want the government to cancel the three lease agreements and stop any investor from taking over the entire lagoon, and rather implement the master plan.”
The Libi Wornor added that communities such as Lufenya Number 1, Kablevu, Kpotise-Kope, Luhuor, Wasakuse, Kwalakpoyom, Obane and many others of about 60,000 inhabitants will be displaced and also lose their sources of livelihoods.
The Salt Priest, however, bemoaned that all efforts to reach the Minerals Commission and authorities of Electrochem Company to address their grievances have not yielded the desired results.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to take a look at the three leases of Electrochem Ghana Limited, and prevent it from engaging in any form of salt wining and related activities in the area, considering the untold hardship the people are going to face.
He appealed to the government to implement the master plan without delay.
The post Confusion hits Songor Salt mining appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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