Members of the Ada Songor Lagoon Association (ASLA) in the Ada East and West Districts of the Greater Accra Region has revealed that, the assertions made by President Akufo-Addo about Daniel McCauley’s ElectroChem Ghana Ltd (ElectroChem) project at Ada Songor Lagoon are not only totally untrue but rather calculated to misinform and mislead the public.
“We would like to state categorically that none of the benefits the President claim will accrue to the nation will materialise leave alone the unbearable cost to fellow Ghanaians. Instead, there will be a prolong litany of gross human rights abuses; the denial of our constitutional rights as citizens of Ghana to live and work in peace to sustain ourselves, earn a living on our own land together with our ownership rights over our lands”.
Members of ASLA rejected the claims that sought to heap praises on Electrochem Ghana Limited. The private company has been given a 15-year lease agreement by government to undertake large scale salt development within the Ada songor lagoon enclave.
According to them contrary to what President Nana Akufo-Addo said in his 6th March Independent Anniversary speech which suggested that Electrochem’s intervention has been a blessing to the communities within the songor lagoon, pain, agony, economic misery, destruction of livelihoods are their lots ever since the lease was granted the private company.
In a statement which sought to set the records straight and thus, debunk President Nana Akufo-Addo’s claims which they contended was nothing but a pack of lies fed him by Electrochem, the members of ASLA said, “In his speech The President made some assertions about Daniel McCauley’s ElectroChem Ghana Ltd (ElectroChem) project at Ada Songor Lagoon which are not only totally untrue but rather calculated to misinform and mislead the public; which we would like to clarify for the benefit of all Ghanaians.
“We would like to state categorically that none of the benefits the President claim will accrue to the nation will materialise let alone the unbearable cost to fellow Ghanaians. Instead, there will be a prolong litany of gross human rights abuses; the denial of our constitutional rights as citizens of Ghana to live and work in peace to sustain ourselves, earn a living on our own land together with our ownership rights over our lands”.
The noted that the President’s statement that the Electrochem project that is coming on stream is bound to make a dramatic change to the economy is rather totally misleading as it is destroying their livelihoods.
“This statement by the President, to say the least, is totally misleading and deliberately calculated to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians. Sea salt farming, harvesting and winning or production has been going on at Ada Songor Lagoon by artisanal producers to feed the nation and export to Burkina Faso and Niger for the past 500 years. Over 90% of the nation’s requirements for domestic consumption and the limited industrial use is produced at Ada Songor Lagoon.
“Sea salt or common salt, in trade terms could be classified as a commodity and it is used in Ghana mainly as a food condiment. It is also used by the large fishing trawlers to preserve their catch; its heavy industrial use in Ghana is however limited.
“What the promoters and supporters of the ElectroChem project intend to do is to deprive and dispossess the artisanal salt producers together with over 90,000 people who depend directly or indirectly on the Songor Lagoon for their daily survival and create a monopoly for Daniel McCauley alone and his political backers to enrich themselves.
“Such a scheme would in no way make any positive dramatic changes to the economy as the President seems to think.
It is rather bound to destroy the local economy, cause considerable disaffection amongst the people of Songor Lagoon and damage the nation in the long run”, they said.
The members of ASLA vowed to resist and intensify their fight for justice through all legal means available to them.
“We once again call on all citizens of good will, human rights advocates and organizations; home and abroad to join and support our fight against the injustices being perpetrated against us which are disguised as undertakings for economic breakthrough by President Akufo Addo.
“It took us, as a people about 20 years to deal with Vacuum Salts and we are prepared to fight for another 200 years to deal with McDan.
In the words of one of our compatriots Mr Tepey Afloe during the crisis with Vacuum Salts:
“We are prepared to defend our land and our sources of income and livelihood until the very last person in the last village is wiped out then the heartless monopolists can have our land and Lagoon for themselves; this should make them successful; very happy in this life and pleasing to their God”, they stated.
The full text of their statement is reproduced on pages 6, 7 and 10 for the benefit of readers;
