Josiah
The Parliamentary Committee on Lands and Forestry, along with Mines and Energy, has been assigned the responsibility of conducting a comprehensive investigation into the leasehold agreement permitting Electrochem Ghana to engage in salt mining activities in Ada. The directive was issued by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu, on Thursday, November 9, 2023.
The decision to launch this investigation stems from a recent clash between Electrochem Ghana Limited and Ada residents on Monday, November 6. This altercation resulted in a shooting incident in Sege, Greater Accra Region, resulting in one fatality and several injuries.
Following a statement made by the Member of Parliament for Sege, Christian Otuteye, on the floor of Parliament, Joseph Osei Owusu emphasized that the investigation aims to determine the necessity of amending the ratification, potentially allowing part of the concession to be granted to Ada indigenes.
Osei Owusu stated, “I will direct the Minister of Interior to brief the house about the incident, how violence came to be perpetrated and who shot into the crowd; whether it is the police or the security of the private company, and the Minister of Interior should brief the House on that one. After that brief, if there is the need for the Committee on Defence and Interior to look further, we will give the appropriate directions.”
He further suggested that the Committee on Lands and Natural Resources should reevaluate the lease document, visit the site, and advise the House on the feasibility of renegotiating the contract.
Source:omanghana.com
