News:
September 5, 2024
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa Tahir Kobina Hammond has appealed to indigenes of Sege and Ada as well as their respective lawmakers to allow Electrochem Ghana Limited to develop the massive salt deposit at the Songor Lagoon.
“In the name of the Almighty God, let Electrochem develop this massive potential”, he said.
“In the name of the Almighty God to for ones allow ElectroChem Ghana Limited to mini the massive salt deposit in at the Songor Lagoon.
According to him it has a potential to benefit the people of Ada and where the mineral deposit is located and the whole nation.
And recounted that he knows the story of the salt deposit and the brouhaha that had surrounded even in his days back a student of the University of Ghana where Rt. Hon Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin was his senior.
He made these remarks on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, when the House was in the process of adopting the report of the joint Committee on Mines, Energy, Lands and Forestry, whiles MPs within the enclave of the salt mine express serious reservations of ElectroChem’s operation.
According to him, various governments set up committees to investigate the brouhaha that had surrounded the mining of the salt, but it became impossible to develop the area. “We are hearing issues about the gods in the area are not feeling comfortable; we have the respect of traditional believes”.
“Mr. Speaker, the Songor Lagoon area has to be developed, the intransigence of some of the inhabitants has caused this country so much, the salt is next to the black gold and the area has numerous deposits of national resources.
Again, the whole world needs the resources from Ghana; what people do not appreciate is that the Songor area is about the only area in the whole of West Africa that is massively endowed with massive salt natural resources.”
“The whole of Africa is looking up to Ghana to develop the salt my information is that we have millions of dollars of salt deposit.”
The Trade and Industry Minister who spoke passionately further revealed that Ghana’s salt can be exported to Nigeria who has to go all the way to Brazil to get salt for the petroleum industry.
Salt, he said is so crucial in the petrochemical industry and to the world that Ghana is in the position to contribute massively. And further added that he hopes his colleagues on the Minority side will accept that it’s such a potential for employment and income, adding that through the company (ElectroChem) “we, are going to obtain billions on this particular investment.”
“We will not be doing ourselves good as a Country, I pray the people of Ada and Sege, allow the company to work to the glory of Ghana. We need the salt from the area; help us, we should not allow the gods to impede the salt development. If there is anything we need to sit down and settle it and take the gods out of this”, he said.
This came up on the floor of the House when Member of Parliament for Ada Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe indicated that ElectroChem has to hold their peace so that they can save their shrines, cemetery and some of the villages, so that there will be clear definition of what should be done so that no one is inconvenient.
Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/Ghanamps.com