The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Electrochem Ghana limited, operators of Africa’s salt mine, Abdul Razak Adam has stated that, no single individual or group of persons have been displaced from their homes or lands as a result of operations of the company within the Ada Songor enclave.
According to him, the living standards of the people within the catchment communities where the company operate have rather improved due to the many corporate social investments undertaken by the company.
Mr Adam said this when he appeared before Parliament’s joint committees on Energy, Mines and Forestry on Thursday July 4, 2024.
On November 6, 2023, some irate youth of Toflokpo clashed with security officers over operations of Electrochem Ghana.
The Member of Parliament for Sege, Christian Otuteye subsequently made a statement on the floor and called for the intervention of the legislature to avert future occurrences of the unfortunate situation.
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu who presided over proceedings, directed the then Mines and Energy committee to conduct an investigation into the leasehold agreement and the parliamentary approval that authorised Electrochem Ghana to embark on salt mining in Ada.
Responding to allegations made by vested interest groups including the Dangbe East Salt Producers Association (DESPA) and Ada Songor Lagoon Association (ASLA) against Electrochem to the effect that the company has taken over lands that belonged to the people, the CEO emphasised the fact that, no single individual has been made homeless due to operations.
“There is no single person that has been displaced from their home, there is no single person, even though it is 42, 000 acres, but we know that you don’t go and mine within the 42, 000 acres. The communities that we came to meet, the communities are existing, they have not been displaced. However, their lives have rather been made better because we have constructed toilet facilities for some of the communities. We have also provided portable source of water to make sure that the people are not suffering from lack of water.
“We have a scholarship scheme, renovated schools, upscaled interest free loans to women from Gh¢3,000,000 to currently Gh¢10,000,000 and all that. So, if anything, Electrochem has come out to be a partner that is making Ada. What government is not able to provide, Electrochem is coming into the community and filling that gap” Mr Adam told parliament.
The Electrochem Ghana CEO also refuted claims that indigenous salt miners have been displaced
He explained that the company through its community pans concept is ensuring that, any community it enters, a parallel mining is created for the people.
“The community pan concept is to ensure that every community that we go into, we are creating parallel mining and providing them with quality bream, an investment we have put 10 million dollars to get bream directly from the sea not only to supply our mine but also to spread it to the communities. So even though the communities have come back to say it is not enough, we’ve listened to them,” he told the joint committee.
Mr Adam also informed the joint committee that, ASLA is a pressure group that emerged after Electrochem came into existence to derail the progress of Ada.
“A case of ASLA, ASLA was a pressure group that was formed after Electrochem came into existence to make sure that they torpedo the progress that the people of Ada are seeing. We know that it is a couple of miners that we would refer to as atsiakpo or if you would galamsey that were doing irresponsible mining, destroying the lagoon, creating very hazardous situation for the people that has been stopped in a way.
“Because of the coming into existence of Electrochem, so obviously, these are people that are not there for in the interest of the entirety of the people,” Electrochem CEO said.
He expressed optimism in parliament to find a lasting solution to the impasse.
“We live in a country of law and due processes, and we would not denigrate you Honorable Members as the cause of problem, we see you as the solution, and you would find solution to this problem.”
“We realised that in any nation everywhere, when you have massive transformation that is coming to the people, there would be a small percentage of the people that would attack it, that would try to reverse the fortune, we know that. I want to put on record that, over 90% of the traditional leaders, overwhelming majority of the people in Ada are very much behind what Electrochem is doing,” Mr Adam stated.
The CEO revealed that, the company is targeting a production capacity of some four million metric tons of salt as compared to the less than 300,000 metric tons produced in the past fifty years of the Songor enclave.
“I want to put on record that, for all the salt production that has been done in 50 years, there has not been any particular year that production exceeded 300,000 metric tons with the old Songor, but we are looking at Electrochem now is a production target of four million (4,000,000) metric tons. So, if you put that in dollar perspective, you are looking at four billion US dollars, cocoa doesn’t give us this country that type of revenue.
“So, we are looking at an enterprise that is going to change the fortunes of this country. We are looking at an enterprise that this country is going to rely on to reverse all the forex issues that we are facing, the depreciation of the cedi, and the economic issues, and this is done by a private enterprise. Electrochem has invested over 114 million dollars in the salt project,” Mr Adam said.
The Divisional Queen of the Royal Adibiawe clan of Ada and President of the Ada Queen Mothers Consortium, Naa Adiki Manyeyo Adi I expressed worry about the many agitations against an investment that is bringing development and transformation in the economic fortunes of the people of Ada in the past four years.
She bemoaned activities of illegal salt miners that has destroyed the bed of the Songor lagoon vis a vis the current investment by Electrochem which has the potential of bringing in much foreign earnings to the country than gold.
The Queen abhorred the several atrocities and brutalities meted out on innocent people especially women and households by elements within ASLA because the victims support to the progressive initiatives of Electrochem Ghana and called on parliament to pay attention to such developments.
On his part, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of ASLA, Abraham Ahumah Tetteh who claimed that Electrochem has taken over lands belonging to the people takes a spike at the legislature and accused it of being engulfed in the confusion surrounding the Ada Songor salt mining deal, ratified by parliament.
He alleged that that Electrochem has taken over all villages, farmlands, cemeteries and treats everybody living within the 41,000-acre concession as a trespasser.
ASLA is therefore calling for the reversal of the Mining lease agreement with Electrochem Ghana to forestall peace in Ada.
Members of the committee’s advice the various feuding factions to be law abiding and assured of parliament’s commitment to work towards finding a lasting solution to the impasse.
Background
The Ada Songhor Salt Project was constructed in the 1970s as the largest in sub-saharan Africa and was later vested in government of Ghana in 1992.
The project was however rifting several challenges especially lack of investment it to thrive.
Following a parliamentary approval in accordance with provisions of Article 268(1) of the Constitution and Section 5(4) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), Electrochem Ghana Ltd, the investor obtained a long-term lease in 2021 for mineral rights to dig for, mine and produce salt for the total redevelopment of the Ada Songor enclave.
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