Martin Kwaku Ayisi, the Minerals Commission's Chief Executive Officer, has said that proper process was followed in the proceedings that resulted in Electrochem Ghana Limited being granted a mining license to operate the Ada Songor concession in the Greater Accra Region.
According to him, the application was sent to Parliament for confirmation and then duly gazetted. He further stated that the landowners received all relevant documentation that the Commission was obligated by law to furnish.
Mr. Ayisi underlined, "As a Commission, we would not have transmitted anything to Parliament without going through the proper procedures."
He stated these claims in a TV3 program named 'Salt City,' which was broadcast on April 20, 2022, to highlight the largely underutilized salt concession and the great potential it has when properly developed from its current crude and artisanal form.
He encouraged stakeholders and Ada residents to look to the future, saying, "...the employment produced and the infrastructure being put in place to boost the project's profitability speak loudly." Only by looking at what comes out in a year or two in terms of revenues will we know how much we have truly lost," he added.
Mr. Ayisi's allegation was backed up by the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources (mines), George Mireku Duker, who stated that Electrochem Ghana had received the required mandate from the Minerals Commission, making its operations legitimate.
On the Commission's suggestion, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources signed all the necessary permissions for the corporation, he added. He asked all parties to work together to make the best possible use of this immense natural resource in order to aid the development of communities in the Ada state and the country as a whole.
Dr. Daniel McKorley, Chairman of the McDan Group of Companies, remarked in his time speaking in the documentary, "Electrochem Ghana's work will tell the narrative by itself."
"One thing we haven't lost sight of is the integration of local miners into our operations through the communal mining idea," he added.
"We're including the Ada community in the project by converting their makeshift 'galamsey' pans into conventional community pans with modern design so that more people may mine alongside our commercial mining." The good news is that we will continue to examine their salt production methods scientifically to guarantee that it satisfies international standards, provide them with free access to brine (seawater) through our reservoirs, and provide them with a ready market after mining."
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