The Chairman of Parliament’s Mines and Energy Committee, Samuel Atta-Akyea, has declared that the inhabitants of Ada’s objection to Electrochem Ghana’s salt mining activities are a criminal attempt to stymie the company’s growth.
He warned them not to engage in any actions that might jeopardise the firm’s success.
Residents of Ada have long claimed that the company’s presence in the region will deprive them of their livelihoods.
On November 6, a disagreement between the two sides culminated in the death of one person at Toflokpo, as well as the injury of numerous other locals during a shooting incident.
Parliament then launched an investigation into the situation in an attempt to find a long-term solution.
During the committee’s visit to the Songor salt mining site, its Chairman, Samuel Atta-Akyea, emphasised that he would deal with such anti-progress entities.
“My pain is hearing that there are some people who believe that if they don’t undermine this enterprise with our personal interest, they won’t be happy. It also means that if we should just put together a very vile conspiracy and commit some crimes and even kill somebody, that is their pleasure. We cannot have that lawlessness, undermining an undertaking that can bless the entire country.”
“So I am using this opportunity to sound a note of caution to those who believe that this whole Ada traditional area should not improve—when you have an investor who wants to improve the lots of the people. When they will seize some of the production lines for you to go produce and even create a ready market, and then they buy it off you. And then somebody who believes that this undertaking should be undermined. That lawlessness will have to cease. And this is one of the things that I, as the chairman of the committee, will take up at the highest level so that this country should not have people who want to undermine progress,” he stated.
However, John Jinapor, the Ranking Member of the Mines and Energy Committee, stated that the committee will take efforts to achieve a win-win situation for a calm and business-friendly environment.
