I call for peace in Ada Songor Lagoon issue - Clan elder

An elder of the Dangmebiawer Clan in Ada in the Greater Accra Region, Rex Daniel Wusa has advised the Ada Traditional Council to reconsider the Ada Songor Lagoon lease agreement entered between the Traditional Council and ElectroChem Ghana Limited to involve the concern of the indigence of Ada stating that the step will curb the current chaos in communities around the lagoon.

He made the call after the Tema Regional Command held a forum at Tema Police Station Hall on Thursday, September 15, 2022.

The forum brought different stakeholders in the Songor Lagoon issue: the Ada Traditional Council, Leaders, and Members of Ada Songor Lagoon Association (ASLA), the chief priest of the lagoon, Officials of ElectroChem Ghana Ltd, Ada Youth Forum for Development purported to find an antidote to misunderstandings arising from the privatization of the lagoon.

In addressing the media, the former District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ada East District asserted that the Traditional Council from the unset was to have a dialogue with the sub-chiefs and the land owners, and communities at the enclave of the lagoon before proceeding on the lease agreement which was missing from the process.

“I am speaking as a citizen of Ada and Elder of Dangmebiawer Clan, a land-owning Clan in Ada but not as a politician, and I can say strongly that nobody hates McDan and ElectroChem because we love development and development must be based on peace,” he opined.

He said: “The Traditional Council must invite the various clans and their leaders, youth groups, and cooperatives and sit down with them to talk amicably for peace to prevail. My advice is that government should step in and cool tempers.”

The traditional priest of the Songor deity, Nomo Amatey Apedo who also spoke in an interview with the media, expressed the hope that the people's livelihood and property will be entrusted into their hands in due time.

“The indigenes requested that all activities in the lagoon should be suspended so that we can go back to discuss with the concerns on the right decision to be taken on where everyone will work in the lagoon,” he stated.

PRO for ASLA, Lawrence Katey Nunekpeku also mentioned to the media that the agitation of the indigence is the implementation of PNDC law 287 which states that the lagoon should be managed in the interest of the people using the master plan.

“It is stated explicitly in the law that the ‘Songor Salt Project Area’ is the only portion of the vast lagoon that can be leased to a private investor and that is what the police administration has directed all the stakeholders to do,” he said

In the meeting with stakeholders, the Regional Police Command, DCOP Daniel Kwame Afriyie stated that the Ada Songor Lagoon serves as a source of livelihood for many people in and around Ada and therefore needs a detailed management approach.

He expressed worry over the continuous information on social media attributing the many atrocities in the area to the police, adding that police do not collaborate with land guards to brutalize the community members.

A representative of the mineral commission, Mr. Gad Akwesidie stated that ElectroChem Ghana Ltd is acceding to the mineral regulations of the country and as such fulfilling its obligations to the state. He said the property has been a great asset for the people for years, entreating them to reunite as they previously did to access the royalties with the state to develop Ada.