The Committee on Mines, Energy, Lands, and Forestry, having carefully reviewed feedback from all stakeholders on Electrochem Mining’s operations, has made several recommendations.
The committee advises Electrochem Ghana Limited to maintain the allocation of space within the concession area for local miners, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement that supports local participation in the salt mining venture.
Local mining activities should comply with environmental regulations and practices as established by the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency.
ElectroChem Ghana Limited should assist local communities in adopting best practices for salt mining to ensure the concession area remains valuable and production is sustained.
Furthermore, continuous stakeholder engagement is necessary to address and correct the misunderstanding among some individuals who believe the salt mineral is owned by the local people.
The Committee emphasized the importance of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) launching a comprehensive educational campaign in the Salt Mining Area.
The goal is to help local residents understand that salt is a natural mineral, similar to gold in the Ashanti Region, petroleum in the Western Region, and bauxite in the Eastern Region, rather than a local resource tied to their traditional livelihoods.
Additionally, Members of Parliament from this Joint Committee should organize local educational tours and community events to further this objective.
“Political pandits should desist from making political capital out of the use of national assets for the development of the nation Ghana rather than inciting indigenes to believe that they are being robbed by the Government of the day.
“There should be a serious security engagement in the communities for them to come to terms with the fact that it is in the best interests of Ghana and the local communities to desist from any form of lawlessness to pave the way for a national undertaking with export benefits to function at full throttle. Parliament and NCCE should be the arrowheads in this regard.
The indigenes should be educated by their chiefs. stakeholders and the police that the Nation Ghana has a stake in ElectroChem Ghana Limited and its salt mining business in Ada Songhor and any acts of lawlessness against the Company is a direct confrontation with Law Enforcement Agencies in Ghana.
All national undertakings over the country including the gold mining business of Ashanti Goldfields are operational because of this basic understanding.
“The police should continue with the investigation of the death of Numo Korletey Agormedah who was allegedly killed on the 6th day of November 2023 and prosecute the perpetrator(s) of the said crime.
All minor criminal complaints associated with the salt mining business which can be resolved between the complainants and the culprits to tone down tension in the salt producing environment. The chiefs should take up such peaceful initiatives.
Any survey challenge relating to the extent of the concession should be brought to the attention of the Minerals Commission for investigations.
“ElectroChem Ghana Limited should enlarge their social intervention activities as their fortunes improve to bankroll poverty in the communities. ElectroChem Ghana Limited in the roll-out of this immensely significant national project should desecrate cemeteries, fetish houses and places within the concession area.
