The Volta Regional Security and the Coordinating Council (VRCC) have begun investigations into alleged illegal operations of Seven Seas Salt Limited, a salt mining entity in Ketu South Municipality.
The Indian-owned salt mining company, located at Adina, had been accused by some Ketu South residents of expanding its operations to cover communities outside its concession areas, leading to loss of lives.
This followed the recent drowning of a mother and her three children in a pit dug in the lagoon at Laklevikope, the third of such incidents to occur in the Viepe-Tokor Electoral Area (alleged to be outside the company’s concession area), claiming six lives in a spate of two months.
Residents alleged the pits were as a result of the uncompleted dykes being constructed in the lagoon in their communities by the company, a claim the company denied, saying it was possible individuals also had pits dug for them to allow fishing during the dry season.
In a petition presented to Mr Maxwell Koffie Lugudor, the Municipal Chief Executive after a protest Tuesday, Ketu South citizens among others demanded from authorities to impress on the company to halt the illegal operations, saying their checks showed it did not have approval to extend its operations beyond the Adina concession.
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, the Volta Regional Minister, reacting to the development in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the Regional Security and Coordinating Councils had taken seriously the accusation and had begun a probe into the same for the needed action.
He said while they gather facts about the development, the petition from the aggrieved residents was referred to the appropriate state institutions and regulatory authorities for in-depth investigations and resolution, once and for all to avert a repeat.
He said every single life of Volta Region citizens and Ketu South in particular, mattered a lot and that his outfit would not rest until a lasting solution was found to ensure that the lives and livelihood of people in the affected communities were not threatened.
“I want people in the affected communities to remain calm. In a few days, we’ll get to the bottom of the allegation and stiffer sanctions will be applied to Seven Seas Salt Limited if found to be operating in these areas without approval from regulatory authorities,” Dr Letsa said.
He called for restraint from residents and urged them to avoid muddying the issues with politics.