Adopt Songor Salt Mining report to foster peace, unity, devt …Ada Paramount Chief appeals to Parliament

• Nene Abram Kabu Akuaku
III, Paramount Chief of Ada

The Paramount Chief of Ada, Nene Abram Kabu Akuaku III, has expressed his support for the report by the Joint Committee on Mines and Energy and Lands and Forestry on the Songor Salt Mining project initiated by Electrochem Ghana Limited.

Speaking to the Ghanaian Times here in an interview following the opposition the report faced in Parliament and the deferred final decision today, he called for further consultations and urged MPs to prioritise national interests over individual ones.

Nene Akuaku III said he was satisfied with the part of the report that said ‘Electrochem should continue to allocate more space to the indigenes for salt production’ because that had been all that he wanted for the people and urged Parliament to adopt the report to promote peace, unity, and development in the region.

He appealed to Parliament to adopt the report to ensure the continuous development of Ada, highlighting the positive impact Electrochem Ghana Limited had been on the community.

In the report, the committee emphasised the importance of continuous stakeholder engagement to address misconceptions among some locals who believe that the salt, a national resource, is solely owned by the indigenes.

It recommends that the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) undertake a significant educational campaign in the salt mining area to inform locals that salt, like gold in the Ashanti Region, petroleum in the Western Region, and bauxite in the Eastern Region, is a natural mineral and a national asset.

The report also calls for Members of Parliament to organise local education tours and durbars to reinforce this message and discourage political figures from using national assets for political gain, which could incite unrest among the indigenes.

Additionally, it stresses that local mining should comply with environmental laws as regulated by the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency, and that Electrochem Ghana Limited should aid indigenes in adopting best practices in salt mining.

To ensure the success of this national project, the report highlights the need for serious security measures in the communities and for educating locals about the benefits of the project.

The report also addresses the need for investigations into the death of Numo Korletey Agormedah, who was allegedly killed on November 6, 2023, urging the police to prosecute the perpetrator(s) and to resolve minor criminal complaints amicably to reduce tension. Any disputes over the extent of the concession should be referred to the Minerals Commission for resolution.

According to the report, Electrochem Ghana Limited is encouraged to expand its social intervention activities to alleviate poverty in the communities as the project progresses.

It is noted that the company has undertaken social intervention activities to enhance the livelihoods of the Ada people by providing significant financial support and engaging in corporate social responsibility initiatives.

During the plenary debate last Friday, some NDC MPs, including those from the area, criticised the report for favoring Electrochem Ghana Limited.

The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, deferred the final decision on the report to today, after calling for further consultations and urging MPs to prioritise national interests over individual ones.

BY MALIK SULLEMANA, ADA