The Seven Seas Salt Mining Company (formerly Kensington Industries Ltd) operating at Adina in the Ketu South Municipality would on Tuesday, pay the community and other satellite communities affected by its operations.
Mr. Elliot Edem Agbenorwu, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ketu South, who disclosed this said the compensation would go to the communities which make up the Company’s Adina Concession (currently developed) including; Adina, Amutinu, Salakakope, Agbevekope, and Kpedzakope.
He said it would also cover the Company’s yet-to-be-developed Agavedzi-Blekusu Concession comprising Agavedzi, Blekusu, Dogbekope, Sonuto, Taskcorner, and Tsavanya; and a new concession, White D’Or (formerly granted to White D’Or Company) comprising Hedzranawo, Adafienu, Tetekope, and Agorko.
In a meeting with key stakeholders, Mr. Agbenorwu said the assembly in a bid to finding a lasting solution to the impasse between the indigenes and the salt mining Company, engaged relevant players including; the Minerals Commission on a decision for the Company to pay the compensation and hoped “this will end the agitations.”
Indigenes of the salt mining concessions particularly, Adina, had embarked on demonstrations in 2015, 2016, and 2017, which led to one death, several injured, and destruction of property over activities of the Company. The residents of the fishing-dependent community claimed of been robbed of their livelihood and polluting freshwater sources.
Mr. Agbenorwu said the complaints of the residents were carefully looked at and a consultant was engaged to carry out the valuation of the lands for the right compensation to be disturbed to the affected areas.
“The compensation will be paid to each community based on the acres of land. We agreed on community compensation because it is difficult to identify individuals and households who fish and mine at these places. There would be one representative from the chiefs, assembly members, and women groups for the signatories to the account in every community”, he said.
“Usage of the compensation is a key to me and the Assembly. The money is for the loss of livelihood, therefore it is important to put good use of it to benefit the community. To control the account, it has been decided that the Assembly continues to write to the banks to authorise activities on the accounts”, he added.
“Provision of potable water to the affected community has long been resolved. In the agreement, the Company has developed local concessions of 300 meters at the edges to provide an alternative livelihood for the residents, while work is currently ongoing (about 60 percent complete) at Agorko to enable Seven Seas to draw water from the sea for their production,” the MCE assured.
Source: GNA
