..To seize private lands in Sege
In a disturbing turn of events, residents of Sege, the district capital of the Ada West District, were forced to flee their homes on July 15, 2024, as heavily armed military personnel, allegedly supported by Electrochem Ghana Limited, brazenly attempted to seize private lands.
Eyewitnesses reported that, the military threatened local landowners with firearms, as they sought to protect their properties from what they claimed, was unlawful confiscation.
The incident unfolded early Monday morning, when property owners discovered a bulldozer clearing their lands, which are located near the McDan Sports Complex.
As residents confronted the workers, they were met with hostility from approximately ten military personnel, prompting fears for their safety.
“They pulled out their guns and warned us not to come closer,” recounted one terrified resident, highlighting the atmosphere of fear that enveloped the community.
Electrochem Ghana, owned by Daniel McKorley alias “McDan”, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the McDan Group of Companies, has been embroiled in legal disputes over these lands since last year, when a court ruling required the company to stay off properties of owners unwilling to sell.
Interestingly, the Tema High Court presided over by Her Ladyship, Rita Agyemang-Budu, ruled in June 2023 that Electrochem, must cease any activities on those lands after the company was found responsible for destroying farms and other assets.
Following the ruling, many plaintiffs reclaimed their properties and commenced development. However, despite this landmark ruling, residents were surprised to find the bulldozer on their land and confronted with military intimidation.
Many recalled threats made by Electrochem’s Operations Manager, Nene Siada Odeopeor, who stated that Electrochem, would proceed with its plans regardless of any opposition.
“What you are seeing are my construction materials for my project, and now I don’t know where they have taken them,” lamented Faustina Kudzordzi, one of the affected landowners.
Former Assembly Member for Sege Electoral Area, Moses Lomotey Nanor, expressed disbelief at the company’s disregard for the court’s ruling, urging the community to protect their rights.
“We welcome development but not at the cost of our legitimate properties. We will not allow this forceful takeover,” he vowed.
In response to the accusations, Nene Siada Odeopeor, acknowledged awareness of the court ruling, but denied any wrongdoing.
“You know I’m a Chief; I’m beyond what they claim I said,” he asserted, stating that the company is committed to expanding its operations in the Songor area to create employment opportunities for local youth.
The Ada Ada District Chief Executive, Sampson Tetteh Kpankpa, distanced himself from the ongoing tensions, asserting that he had not intervened in the land dispute, following last year’s court ruling and rejected claims that he fueled the controversy.
Given the landowners’ unwavering stance, the situation will likely escalate back into the courtroom as the residents remain adamant in their fight to retain their properties, declaring they will not relinquish their land without a fight.
The community watches warily, prepared to defend their rights against what they perceive as coercive tactics by Electrochem Ghana Limited.
All attempts to contact Bernard Korley, the Public Relations Officer of Electrochem Ghana, for his perspective on the matter have been unsuccessful among the excuses he gave was that he was celebrating the Asafotufiam Festival by the chiefs and peoples of Ada in the Greater Accra region. The festival is celebrated in the first week of August every year.
Last month, some Members of Parliament in the Minority Caucus rejected a report by the joint committee on Mines and Energy and Lands and Forestry, which investigated a clash between small-scale salt miners and officials of Electrochem Ghana Limited at the Songor Lagoon enclave.
The report recommends no review of the three mining leases ratified by Parliament for Electrochem Ghana.
During the debate on the report, MPs Christian Otuteye of Sege and Nii Lante Vanderpuye of Odododiodoo argued that adopting the report in its current form would not promote peace in the Ada enclave.
They emphasized the need for stakeholder consultations and a peaceful resolution to ensure that local communities benefit from the salt mining concession.
Nii Lante Vanderpuye stated, “If in some areas chiefs will shut up and allow galamsey to ruin their rivers and do anything to them without any benefit to the people. We, the people of Ada, will not allow this to continue. Our people need to survive, and one investor cannot appropriate the whole concession to himself and allow the people to go hungry and die.”
Christian Otuteye on his part added, “As a member of parliament for the good people of Ada, when we go on with this, we will still not have our peace. But let go of things in the manner in which the people also accept. There haven’t been enough stakeholder consultations and that has led to all this…I’m not against the report entirely but I wish it could have been done differently.”
Chairman of the Mines and Energy Committee, Samuel Atta Akyea, urged political leaders to refrain from inciting local communities and instead promote national interests.
He highlighted the potential economic benefits of salt production, which could rival gold and cocoa exports.
“Political players in that space should desist from making political capital out of the use of national assets for the development of the nation Ghana, rather than inciting individuals to believe they are being robbed by the government of the day.
“There should be a serious security arrangement in the communities for them to come to terms with the fact that it is in the best interest 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,” Atta Akyea said.
In November last year, the MP for Sege, Christian Corleytey Otuteye, said the feud between residents and Electrochem Ghana Limited should be blamed on the Akufo-Addo government for turning a blind eye to pertinent issues which need to be addressed and is acting adamant.
On August 30, 2023, President Nana Akufo-Addo commissioned an ultra-modern salt mining and processing plant at Ada Songor owned by Electrochem despite opposition and persistent protests from residents of the area.
Speaking on Adom FM morning show, Dwaso Nsem, Mr Otuteye questioned why the government was aware of the challenges on the ground but ignored them.
“The government rushed to commission the problem in spite of the existing problems and the evidence is clear on the ground. It appears there is a cover-up.
“It is a vast area the people have been mining all these years but now, it seems Electrochem does not want to see people close to their territory doing the same business they are in,” he lamented.
Mr Otuteye called for cool heads and further dialogue to prevent the situation from escalating.
“A commission of inquiry must be established to look into what is happening because a solution must come from the government immediately else the situation will escalate further than what we saw on Monday.
The government and Electrochem, have prejudiced that the people are doing something illegal but I don’t think the people have any reason to fight the investor so there must be dialogue for understanding to prevail and the issues addressed,” he urged pledging to lead a dialogue for a resolution.
