Ada clans unite for development
In a bid to facilitate the accelerated development of the Ada Traditional Area in the Greater Accra Region, all four clans in the area have resolved to bury their long-standing differences.
The Spokesperson for the Paramount Chief of the area, Nene Agudey Obikyere III, said in line with that resolve, impediments and challenges that militated against the smooth take-off of the Songhor salt project had been dealt with following the unity achieved among all four custodians of Ada lands.
Advertisement
“There had not been cooperation over the years; it was a mess and we were not optimising production. Now the four land owners have come together and are saying we are ready.
“All the problems that we have had and which militated against the project we are ready to let go to enable the project to come into fruition,” he added.
Courtesy call
Nene Obikyere spoke on behalf of the Paramount Chief, Nene Abram Kabu Akuaku III, during a courtesy call on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House last Thursday.
“This is the time, and in your time, so you can supervise to make this happen, and the people of Ada will forever remember you,” he told the President
He said the people of the area had not been working because they were not reaping the maximum benefit from the Songhor Lagoon, causing the natural resource to waste away.
Potential
Nene Obikyere said the capacity of Ghana’s salt production, which is done in six communities, including Ada, was pegged at 2.2 million tonnes.
However, he said, out of that capacity, Ada alone was producing about 250,000 tonnes a year, which was a woeful 11.4 per cent of the potential.
“We have noted that in Ada alone the capacity stands at 1.2 million tonnes out of the 2.2 million for the whole country, which is about 54 per cent of the capacity.
“The Songhor Salt Project has a concession of about 5,000 hectares. Out of this, they are only doing 500 hectares, which should give us 70,000 tonnes, but they got 28,000 tonnes in 2016 and 37,000 tonnes in 2017,” he said.
He added that using the world market price of salt to extrapolate losses, it could be seen that Ada was losing about $135.3 million annually within the concession.
Producing in the entire basin, the chief said, would yield about $235.3 million, adding: “If we are able to trap 10 per cent of this in terms of levies and royalties within the Ada area, we are getting over GH¢100 million that could be used for investment and the development of our two districts.”
Tourism
On tourism, Nene Obikyere, who is the Mankralo of the Ada Traditional Area, said the area was endowed with 13 islands dotted around water bodies, some of which had been washed away by high tides.
He appealed to President Akufo-Addo to engage the necessary state agencies to save the islands to boost tourism.
Response
President Akufo-Addo, in his response, described as significant the development of the salt deposits and the protection of the islands.
He said with the large quantity of salt deposit in the area, the time had come for all stakeholders to put their heads together and find a way forward.
“It brings a lot of benefits to the country, including the petro-chemical industry. As you all know, salt is a crucial ingredient in the petro-chemical industry that we are hoping to develop,” the President said.
He said besides salt being a source of foreign exchange for the country, with a huge market in Nigeria, the project would further create employment for the people and also bring revenue to landowners.
“So on all sides there is every reason we have to put our heads together and find a way forward. I am very happy to hear that for the first time all the main clans and groups in Ada are together on this matter,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He said now that the misunderstandings were over and the people were united, “we can arrange for the vigorous development of the fields”.