Ensure safety of Electrochem workers …Ada chiefs to govt

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Nene Agdey Obichere III (middle) and other chiefs at the press conference

The Ada Traditional Council has urged the government to ensure the safety of Electrochem Ghana Limited workers and its operations at the Ada Songhor Lagoon.

This comes after a recent attack on the local salt mining company, where a group of individuals besieged the company’s premises on January 8.

They ransacked the company’s warehouse, damaged water pumping machines, and assaulted company staff.

“We are calling on the President of the Republic and relevant security agencies to provide the same level of security to mining areas with investors as it is provided to other traditional mining areas,” said Nene Agdey Obichere, the Ada Mankralo, at a press briefing.

The Traditional Council stated that attacks on Electrochem Ghana Limited were sending a damaging message to potential investors, threatening the community’s plans for salt development.

Nene Obichere pointed out that such actions fostered an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear, saying that investors were reluctant to invest substantial resources when there was a high risk of disruptions and legal challenges.

He also mentioned that the community had the potential to significantly increase salt production, aiming for a target of 5 million metric tonnes, which could generate billions of dollars in revenue for both the community and the country.

Nene Obichere stressed that unless the rule of law is restored and a stable and predictable business environment is created, the necessary investments to achieve the production goals will simply not materialise.

He has, therefore, called for the arrest of the perpetrators and ensure subsequent prosecutions by the law enforcing agencies.

Nene Obichere again emphasised that unless the rule of law was reinstated and a stable and predictable business environment was established, the investments needed to meet production goals would not materialise.

He also called for the arrest of those responsible and for the law enforcement agencies to ensure they are prosecuted.

Nene Odeopeor, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Electrochem, higlighted the significant losses incurred during the recent attacks.

While a full assessment was still ongoing, he stated that the company had already lost key assets, including water pump machines, brine tanks, and generators, all vital for salt production.

The COO also pointed out that the company has since strengthened security measures to prevent further attacks. -GNA