Songor Salt project: Over 1000 youth employed so far

The Chiefs and people of Ada have expressed their dissatisfaction at people they described as “selfish individuals” who are trying hard to hold the whole Ada to ransom with their parochial interests.

According to the chiefs and people of the area, Electrochem Gh. is the best thing to have happen to them and therefore, any attempt by some individuals to scuttle the ongoing Songor Salt Project in Ada would not be entertained.

Speaking to some people in the area, they indicated that since the three mining leases have been granted Electrochem Gh. Ltd. over the Songor Lagoon for 15 years, majority of the youth who hitherto are living idle, have been employed and are earning meaningful wages.

Checks conducted at the project site has revealed that over 1000 residents, mostly youth, have already been employed by the company to undertake various activities for the smooth implementation of the project, whilst over 500 applications are pending for employment as drivers.

Meanwhile, it emerged that the Lagoon which resources has been lying unattended to for the past forty years, has been deteriorating; which give cause of concern to the Chiefs who appealed to the government to lease the site out for effective management in order to help develop the area.

However, few people according to residents of Ada are exploiting the Lagoon and preventing other people from benefiting from the proceeds.

“These few selfish people have allocated portions of the Lagoon to themselves. They have even given portions to other individuals who are mining salt without any form of assistance to the community. Whatever they make goes into their personal pockets,” a resident said.

According to residents, the increasing rate of unemployment in Ada has led to the surge in social vices such as armed robbery, smoking and stealing among the youth.

Meanwhile, information gathered indicates that the youth of Ada are bracing up to hit the streets in protest against the chiefs if they allow just one person to hold the entire Ada community to ransom.

According to the youth, some politicians are guilty of supporting people who have no locus in Ada to continue to retard the development of Ada for his own personal gain.

“Enough is enough, we cannot take this anymore. The Lagoon belongs to the Ada community not for any individual and for that, we are ready to fight and ensure that whatever that will improve our living conditions and ensure jobs and development in our community is implemented,” they noted.

They indicated that Nomo Amatey Apedo Ayorn, the ‘Libi Wornor’ (Libi Priest) of the Terkperbiawe Clan who is formenting the troubles in Ada has no locus and that the Lagoon as it stands now, belongs to all the three clans in Ada and not for only the Terkperbiawe Clan as being purported by Libi Wornor.

Speaking to the Queen mother of Ada Traditional Area, Naana Adiki she also expressed sadness at the turn of events and indicated that the Songor Salt Project which has been leased to Electrochem Gh. Ltd. will continue.

According to her, “McDan is just a God-sent to Ada.”

She stressed that the current demonstration purported to have been carried out against the continuation of the project was borne out of fear of those selfish chiefs backed by some self-seeking politicians, being exposed for illegally selling off portions of the Lagoon, which is government compulsorily acquired land, to individuals.

She said these selfish chiefs take money from the IMC on a constant basis with the majority of them drawing their funeral monies from the IMC without rendering accounts to the people of Ada.

“Those self-seeking politicians and selfish chiefs have given portions of the Lagoon to some individuals to wean salt so now that the government has leased it to another person, their fear is that those people will come after them that is why they are doing everything possible to ensure that the project doesn’t take off. But they lie, the project has already taken off and it will continue,” she said.

Naana Adiki also averred that Electochem is the best thing to happen to Ada and that, “We want the project today, tomorrow and every day.”

She also indicated that Electochem is in the process of creating tanks in each community and ready to purchase the salt whenever they are weaned at current market prices.

“This is our Hope. At last, there is a factory coming to Ada,” she said.