Police, Electrochem Landguards Fingered For Theft Over Songor Lagoon Salt

The Ghana Police Service has been accused of lying egregiously to cover up the details of a criminal rampage that some of its personnel undertook together with land guards of Electrochem at Luhuor, one of the many communities along the Ada Songor lagoon.

A statement released by the Assembly Member for the area, Hon. Isaac T Gbenartey, told of how officers from the Tema Regional Command and the Ada Divisional Command (Sege & Kasseh) assisted Electrochem’s land guards to break into homes and steal home appliances and food, including pork stew, in the rampage on 21st October.

Allegedly, the marauding officers and their land guard collaborators also beat up people including sick septuagenarians, and forced women to lie supine on the ground and gaze at the sun with their naked eyes in a form of sadistic corporal punishment.

Amidst it all, the townsfolk were flogged with wire whips according to Hon. Gbenartey’s statement.

Consequently, it was rather shocking when the Police released a statement on 27th October claiming victimhood and accusing the town’s people of rather attacking and assaulting the Police.

Electrochem is a company that belongs to Mr. Daniel McKorley of McDan group of companies’ fame, who is also a known bankroller of the Akufo-Addo government.

Electrochem has been controversially awarded a 15-year monopoly contract by his party’s government to mine salt in the Songor lagoon. The contract sets aside an original Master Plan for the development of the Songor salt which provides for the inclusion of the indigenes of the area who have been winning salt since time immemorial.

The controversial contract from Akufo-Addo to his bankroller has led to confusion because the indigenes have refused to move out of the way for Electrochem in what has led to violent confrontations.

Experts have warned that the Akufo-Addo government’s decision to set aside the original Master Plan which provides for the incorporation of the indigenes in the local salt industry so that McDan and his Electrochem can have the whole Songor to themselves for 15 years will only lead to conflict.

Electrochem has made it clear in its business plan presented before Parliament that it wants the people removed out of the way so it can have the Songor to itself. But the people have vowed to resist.