Adina Salt Company lost $1.5 million through community agitations

The Management of Seven Seas Salt Limited, the Producers of Adina Salt, in The Ketu South Municipality has disclosed that the recent riot by some youth from Adina and Kpedzakope caused the Company to lose over $1.5 Million.

According to them, the Company has also lost about 14,000 metric tonnes of salt, worth thousands of Ghana Cedis within the same period.

The Public Relation Officer of the Company, Adams Mensah, who revealed this, in an interview with GBCONLINE, accused the organisers of the 14th and 15th of March, protest of "vandalism and broad day stealing" of the Company's property, under the guise of demonstration.

"As a result, one life was also lost from the community and some people were also injured".

He said the temporal shutdown of the system following the agitation has also affected them hugely as they continue to pay salaries to workers at the time Management was working to replace damaged and stolen equipment.

Mr Mensah stated that "the Company came in, at the time no economic activity was going on, but today, we have revived economic activities in the area and provided jobs for the local people, and some people are using innocent youth to attack the investment".

On his part, the General Manager of the Company, Babulal Goud, noted that, the Company is currently operating far below its installed capacity but over 800 indigenes are employed with just a few expatriates with special skills to operate sophisticated machines, and they have transferred those skills to some of the local employees, who can now manipulate those machines.

On the Court issue, the Management downplayed a law suit against the government in relation to their operations.

According to the management, the pending legal battle initiated by the Anlo Youth Council in an attempt to compel the government to revoke their license is frivolous and baseless.

Mr Goud, said, "we have not been given a copy of the suit but from what we have read online, we know the outcome may affect us positively or negatively”.

The Legal Team of the Company is studying the document and at the right time, they will advise the Management on what to do, if possible joining the suit in Court".

"We are a registered and licensed Company to operate in Ghana but if anybody or group of persons feel they must challenge our activities in Court, they are at liberty to do so".

Last week, the Anlo Youth Council sued some state Institutions, including the Attorney General and The Minister for Justice for allowing the Company to mine salt at an alleged restricted area, without prior approval by Parliament.

They are praying the Superior Court to declare operations of Seven Seas unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the Manager has assured the Chiefs, opinion leaders and youth of Some Traditional Area to remain calm, as the ongoing developmental projects reached with them will be completed in no time.