Fulfill your campaign promise - Chief to NPP

The Paramount Chief of the Ada Traditional Area, in the Dangbe East District of the Greater Accra Region, Nene Abram Akuaku, has called on the NPP administration to go by its electoral promises to repeal PNDC Law 287 relative to the Ada Songor Lagoon.

This decree that was passed in 1992, by the then Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), claimed that the site for the salt industry was being held in trust for the people of the area.

This situation, according to the Ada Paramount Chief, has adversely affected the economic life of the people and he sees it as an impediment to the private investment in the Ada traditional areas.

Nene Akuaku who was speaking to Chronicle through an interpreter, disclosed that about 42 individuals have shown keen interest to invest in the salt industry, but due to the government holding the land in trust for the people, they cannot get licenses to operate.

According to the chief, during the 2000 elections the current administration promised to revoke Law 287 and hand over the 29,850 acres of salt lands to them, if they voted the party into power.

With this promise, he said, they voted massively for the NPP, adding that it is about 18 months now and nothing has been heard from the government.

He said they do not want to believe that it was a deceit, planned by the NPP administration to lure them to vote for the party.

He said recently they were somehow relieved by the announcement made by the Ministry of Lands and Forestry that Cabinet was considering recommendations made by the ministry to revert all individual and stool lands the government holds in trust to the owners to ensure that owners of such lands have full benefit of their heritage.

To their amazement, the Minister of Mines, Mr. Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, also met the Ada Traditional Council and gave a different statement that Cabinet had approved the proposal submitted by his ministry for the formation of the Ada Songor Salt Development Authority whose responsibility it is to control and hold the lagoon in trust for the people

This, the chief said, contradicts the statements made by the Lands Minister, Mr. Kassim Kasanga, and asked that between the two ministers who was telling the truth.

He emphasised that its an abomination for strangers to hold their lands on their behalf and threaten to resist such moves.

According to the chief the lands in Ada belong to the traditional clans and even he, the paramount chief, has no authority over the lands, as he quoted PNDC Law 287, Section 4, to buttress his point.

He explained that the area has 10 clans, including Tekperbawe, Adibiawe and Lomobiawe, each of which has lands and offices.

He added that the Ada traditional council does not own land and has no role to play in the acquisition of land.

The youth in Lufenya, one of the villages in the area, have deserted the place to the urban areas, leaving the aged in a town lacking potable water, health facilities and electricity.

The only source of water available for the people is shared with animals.

The highest level of education there is up to class three and the principal means of transport is by bicycle.

Investigations conducted by this reporter revealed that about six companies have shown a keen interest to mine salt in the town, which will, among other things,provide employment for the local folk.

The companies involved include Main Man Enterprise Limited, Solar Chemical Limited and the Lufenya Sea and Solar Resource Limited.

These companies cannot operate because of the PNDC Law 287.