Nene Korley IV to dialogue with government on Songor lagoon

Nene Korley IV, Divisional Chief of Tekperbiawe Clan of Ada, says his kinsmen are ready to discuss with government the long term development of the salt industry at the Songor Lagoon for the benefit of all.

Nene Korley IV noted that under customary law, the Tekperbiawe division of Ada was recognized as the absolute owners of the lagoon and urged government not to deal with anybody.

He said this at a press conference on Monday in Accra, to update the media on the Ada Songor Lagoon saga.

He said the Traditional Council had not made its intension to sell the Songor Lagoon to government as peddled in the media and some sections of the community, and that any organisation that engages anyone apart from the Tekperbiawe will do so at its own risk.

Nene Korley IV said the Songor Lagoon lies in the Ada Traditional Area and has a surface of area of about 30,000 acres and that the West African Court of Appeal ruled in a case in 1946 (Mantse Dake II, Mantse of Ada VRS Narter Nyabu, Chayi Patu and Others), that the Songor Lagoon and its tributaries are the property of the Tekperbiawe tribe, whose head is the Libi Wornor.

He said the verdict revealed that all the net salt tolls collected shall be divided into three equal parts, one third to the paramount stool, one third to the people of Ada and the remaining one third for the Libi Wornor on behalf of the Tekperbiawe tribe.

Nene Korley IV noted that according to the verdict, the shares of the Paramount Stool and the share of the people of Ada shall form part of the sources of revenue for the Ada State and from time to time to be payable into the Ada Native Administration Treasury.

He quoted a letter from the office of the District Administration in Ada Foah, dated September 2011, and signed by Mr. Rex Daniel Wussah, the then District Chief Executive(DCE) of Dangbe East, addressed to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

According to Nene Korley IV, the section 5 of the letter was the promotion of lucrative alternative livelihood projects for the traditional salt owners in the catchment area of the Songor salt projects.

He expressed concerns about the statement signed by the DCE adding that the Songor Lagoon has been a source of livelihood for the past 600 years with over 100,000 inhabitants currently living in the community.

Nene Korley IV urged government to be transparent in dealing with issues pertaining to the Songor Lagoon.