Ada Traditional Council warns political parties using ASLA to undermine traditional governance

The Ada Traditional Council has expressed grave concern about the involvement of political activists in the commercial salt mining operations of Electrochem Ghana Limited (EGL) at the Ada Songor Lagoon.

The Council said it has noticed a trend where political activities are peddling influence and pushing the local people into doing things that undermine the traditional governance system in Ada.

“We have to put up with a position that the group is becoming ungovernable and the use of threats and defiance cannot achieve results where negotiations, lobbying and other approaches could win the day,” the Council stated at a press conference.

“We therefore use this opportunity to warn all political parties especially NDC and NPP to stay clear off Ada Songor Lagoon development for us to achieve this massive transformation in peace and harmony.”

The press conference was to respond to issues surrounding the operations of Electrochem Ghana Limited and concerns raised by some indigenes.

Below is the full statement

On Thursday 4th May 2023, Some indigenes travelled to Accra to stage a demonstration and to present a petition to government. This is what the council have to say;

It must be placed on record that the name ASLA that has become synonymous with opposition to the Chiefs and the Investor, was not in existence at the time of the grant of the mining license to EGL. The only recognized group who were into local salt production and operating under the name DESPA have been allocated a place for local salt production, known and called as DESPA area.

That notwithstanding, the ATC believes in addressing the concerns and expectations of its entire people and have had various engagement with ASLA which includes some facilitations from the Tema Regional Police command.

We have to contend with the notion that the granting of the entire Lagoon to EGL by Government was creating a monopoly in the Production of Salt in Ada. We must first consider what has been the biggest point of confusion and conflict in the relationship between local and commercial salt producers. We know that the Locals want more space and participation in salt production. If you have more one commercial producers with each of them requiring a substantial space for its production, how much space would be left for the locals? The ATC therefore holds the view that the arrangement that would allow more space for locals is a better option to having numerous operators.

Accordingly, the ATC had to engage with the Investor to agree to the Community Pans concept. Under that plan, EGL is constructing Community pans for over thirty communities abutting the Lagoon at no cost to the communities and again has been providing free brine for local salt production. The only action required of these communities would be to harvest the salt which has been produced at no cost to them as of now, the areas where EGL

is fully operational have had their Community Pans and actively mining salt therefrom and these communities include, Nakomkope, Adjumanikope and Agbedrafor. Those of Bonikope, Toflokpo and Kposem communities are at advanced stages of completion.

The roll out of these Community Pans would run in tandem with the expansion of EGL activities to all Communities. We would give opportunities to the Communities currently mining from their community Pans to tell their own stories.

It must be put on record that in the gentle man agreement that the Traditional Council had with the investor, 12,423acrs of the total concession was agreed upon with the investor to operate for 50years and another 25years renewal.

However, government in his own wisdom legally allocated the total 41000-acre concession to the investor for 15years. This came as a welcoming news to the Traditional Council that finally the entire Songor Lagoon will see a facelift that will transform into more direct and indirect job creation, increase in salt production and an increase in our royalty and grand rent that the Traditional Area receives and to achieve a total transformation of Ada.

In our very last multi-stakeholders engagement, which had Lands Commission, Office of the Administrator of Stool Lands, ASLA had a limited participation but pushed a position that EGL should allocate the local salt miners some areas, provide them with brine and be given a price for the production of salt as obtained in out-growers arrangement.

In that meeting, it was agreed that ASLA would send a proposal to EGL for consideration. To us at ATC, this was a big leap towards deepening local participation.

Whilst we have been waiting for this out-growers model to be actualized, we woke up to the news that our people have gone to Accra for demonstration, which in our view is needless.

We have to put up with a position that the group is becoming ungovernable and the use of threats and defiance cannot achieve results where negotiations, lobbying and other approaches could win the day. Continuously we are noting a trend where political activities are peddling influence and pushing our people into doing things that undermine the

traditional governance system in Ada. An evidence of such involvement is that the petition purported to be the position of Adali and presented at the demonstration was signed by a known political party propagandist and not chiefs who are the Traditional leaders.

10. We therefore use this opportunity to warn all political parties especially NDC and NPP to stay clear off Ada Songor Lagoon development for us to achieve this massive transformation in peace and harmony.

11. We believe the Security Services are able to speak to issues of breaches if any in maintaining law and order and whether there has been excesses in its operations.

In conclusion, we maintain that as fathers of the land our doors are always open to continue the engagement with all well- meaning Adali.

God bless our homeland Ghana and make our Nation Great and Strong.