SONGOR LAGOON UNDER THREAT !!!

Atsiakpor, a major threat to the Songor Lagoon

By Duke Tagoe

A few powerful men are wrecking untold havoc on the Ada Songor Lagoon with associated devastating environmental consequences.

The Lagoon produces a greater part of salt consumed in Ghana and in many Western African states including Togo.

Fishing activities have also been badly affected as water levels in the lagoon have dropped greatly driving communities along the lagoon into a state of desperation.

Private businessmen in connivance with local chiefs have demarcated portions of the lagoon and have grabbed huge swaths of lands around the lagoon.

As if that were not enough, with the aid of electric powered pumping machines, water is pumped out of the lagoon into dug out dams or dykes locally called “Atsiakpo” for the production of salt.

A cross section of salt winers and the media at the Songor Lagoon

These dykes are owned by a few people and have driven many salt winners out of business. The poverty stricken salt winners then work on these dykes and win salt for the owners of the dykes at fifty Ghana Pesewas (50p) per bowl.

Rev. Sophia Kitcher, Secretary of Okor Songhor Women’s Association has taken a swipe at the complicity of the local chiefs and clan heads in what she considers a crime and describes as “repugnant”.

“Our livelihoods have been destroyed forever and poverty has come to visit us again. Why must a handful of people forcefully take what must belong to everybody, ” she questioned with tears running down her face.

The phenomenon of “Atsiakpo” has also contributed in many ways to the destruction of the landscape and other living organisms in the soil.

The locals believe much of the problem will be resolved when the sandbar between the sea and the lagoon is removed. However the sums involved in the removal of the Sand Bar are huge and runs in the millions of Ghana cedis.

A pile of salt close to an "Atsiakpor

In 2011, a combined team of representatives from the Minerals Commission, Attorney General’s Department, the office of the Chief Justice and the Private Enterprises Foundation attempted to relocate communities and indigenous people along the Songor Lagoon for takeover by strategic investors but the move was met with stiff resistance.

“When they came, they asked us to move away from the lagoon and promised to give us alternative livelihood in farming and animal rearing and those who were interested in fish farming would be moved to settle along the Volta River” said Albert Apetorgbor of the Ada Songor Cooperative.

The cooperative is leading in the transformation of salt winning communities and is challenging the exclusive monopoly rights over the lagoon.

Dr Yao Graham, Chief Executive Officer of the Third World Network and a leading advocate of the National Coalition on Mining (NCOM) is beside himself with grief. According to him the problem around the Songoor Lagoon has to do with the push for large scale foreign investment as a strategy for the mining sector.

He said that in places where small scale activities like salt wining can thrive, government still find a way of bringing in foreigners to take over these activities.

Dr Graham said the evidence does not support the claim that large scale foreign investment will create jobs and develop the areas where the investments are made.

 

A monument erected for Margaret Kowornu

On 17^th May 1985 armed policemen acting in concert with a private company raided Bonikope, a community along the Songor Lagoon killing Margaret Kowornu, a pregnant woman in the process.

Vacuum Salt Products Limited had alleged at the time that the inhabitants of the area had encroached on their portion of the lagoon allocated to them by the government.

A monument has been erected in memory of Margaret. The locals explain that that monument serves as an embodiment of their collective aspirations and imbibes in them a zeal to fight in defense of their heritage and the Songor lagoon.

Dr David Pessey a member of the Socialist Forum of Ghana has also described the state of the Songor Lagoon as a calamity of monstrous proportion and has called for a concerted effort to halt the “grab of the lagoon as a collective resource. He said “the quest for the maximization of profit has inebriated certain individuals who wield immense power and believe they can hold sway over the indigenous people.”

Dr Pessey expressed fear that an Environmental Impact Assessment will reveal that developments taking place around the lagoon are having a severe ecological impact on the immediate surroundings.

In the Ketu-Keta Lagoon area, Kensingtoon Industries Limited, a salt winning company entered the Dogbekofe area even before permission was granted. 

The communities living along the Ketu-Keta lagoon were not consulted by the investors before the acquisition of the lagoon.

Editorial

LISTEN TO OSAGYEFO

It is always most useful to listen to the words of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Founder of the Republic of Ghana. At the very least they describe our condition and prescribed solutions to our problems.

In the introduction to his book “Neo Colonialism; The Last Stage of Imperialism” he writes, “The essence of neo-colonialism is that the state which is subject to it, is in theory, independent and has all the outward trappings of international sovereignty.“In reality its economic system and thus its political policy is directed from outside”.

In the same book he also wrote “A state in the grip of neo-colonialism is not master of its own destiny. It is this factor which makes neo-colonialism such a serious threat to world peace.”

 Need we write more?

PROTECT OUR JOBS –ADB Workers Demand

Minister of Employment & Labour Relations Haruna Iddrisu

By Mercy Hededzome

Members of the local union of the Agricultural Development Bank have called  on Government agencies, the Trades Union Congress and the Ghana Employers Association to ensure the rights of working people of Ghana are protected.

The call was made following some recent developments at the bank and which threaten the job security of the working staff.

The workers have warned that the unfolding trend, within management would undermine trust between the staff and management the bank and ultimately affect productivity and profitability.

“We fear that although the constitution of Ghana protects freedom of speech and the right of every worker to join a union, the Managing Director of the ADB is engaged in a vicious victimization of the workers who participate in union activities.”

According to the workers, the Management of the bank has issued queries to over 400 unionized employees of the ADB , an act the workers consider as repulsive and have called for such acts to be resisted.

The whole of the three Northern Zones and the South Zone of the bank were queried for their participation in a sit- down protest directed by the National Union sometime this year.

The workers explained that management was aware that the National Union issued the directive under certain circumstances, but has failed to raise queries with the National Union at the level of the standing Negotiating Committee.

The workers allege that the Managing Director of the ADB has adopted a kind of “Rambo” style in the annihilation of workers, he considers as enemies by threatening to sack workers without recourse to the National Union.

According to the aggrieved workers, an apology rendered by the National Union in good faith and aimed at enabling all the parties to move on and concentrate on the productivity and positive public image for the bank could not assuage the Managing Director from exacting his revenge.

Since July 2015, the Management of ADB has stopped remitting to the National Union the dues of over 300 members without recourse to the individual workers or the standing Negotiating Committee.

It is for such abuse of workers’ rights that the International Labour Organization through its  Conventions and Recommendations, have adopted clear guidelines that encourage social dialogue among social partners as the best approach to resolving industrial dispute .’’

Mr. John Amegashi the Deputy General Secretary of the workers union said they “ have sought the high offices of key stakeholders and trade unionists to intervene and to draw attention to best practices in managing such public, industrial relations, but, these efforts, though engaged in good faith by conciliators and the Union, appear to have been derailed by the Management of the ADB.

THIS ATTITUDE THREATENS OUR DEMOCRACY – DR. ANING

Dr Kwesi Anning

By George Koomson

Some Ghanaian politicians “are too quick to be suspicious, abusive and dismissive,” when they are at the losing end of elections.

The Head of Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Dr. Kwesi Aning made the observation on the sidelines of a Public Lecture at the Centre.

He noted that rubbishing the Electoral Commission after every defeat at the polls by politicians or political parties is a threat to the country’s democracy.

Dr. Aning said just like their attitude to security agencies when they are in power, they like the state institutions, but immediately the leave power, they become suspicious of them.”

“And I think as a people, it’s up to us to say: how do we best protect our institutions so they can perform as optimally for our benefits as possible.”

He observed, “Throughout the history of the fourth republic, when people win elections with the same register, they have never been abusive of the commission, but when they lose elections,even with the same register, the same commission, the same people then become monsters.

The lecture on the topic, “Irish peacekeeping: Over 50 years of service,” was delivered by Mr Simon Coveney, Minister of Ireland. It was organised by the KAIPTC in collaboration with the Irish Embassy.

AFRICA LOSES $ 50 BILLION ANNUALLY

Hon. Akwasi Oppong Fosu

By Christian Kpesese

A Minister of State at the Presidency, Hon Akwasi Oppong Fosu has disclosed that Africa loses an estimated value of over 50 billion dollars annually through mispricing of goods alone.

These losses some through illicit financial flows and associated economic crimes, tax evasion, transfer pricing and money laundering he noted has over the years deprived the continent of the much needed domestic expenditure and investment resources for her rapid economic transformation.

Mr Oppong Fosu made this disclosure when he addressed the 2015 Crans Montana Forum which hosted the 17th International Summit on Homeland, Global Security and Transnational Crime held in Geneva Switzerland.

According to him, Africa remains a paradox-described as resource- rich but access poor partly because of corruption and mis-governance due to weak regulatory framework on the part of its leaders.

He stated that Africa’s natural resource exploitation has led to poverty, unemployment and environmental degradation.

The minister noted that HIV/AIDS and the recent Ebola epidemics continue to fuel social and political tensions in Africa resulting in threats to global security and peace.

Hon. Oppong Fosu who is also the Member of Parliament for  the Amenfi  East constituency and former minister for both Local Government and Rural Development and Environment, Science Technology and Innovation stated that the annual illicit financial transfers from the continent is estimated to be double what Africa receives from the so-called developed world as the Overseas Development Assistance.

 This he said has left Africa with fewer resources to fight poverty and deprivation through the provision of basic services that are much needed for her economic and social infrastructure growth for improvement of the standard of living for her populace.

He revealed that the African Union has established a High Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa to help check the drain on the continent.

Hon Oppong Fosu noted the menace pose a threat to global peace and security and called for concerted efforts from the global community to protect the continent from exploitation.

However, Mr Oppong Fosu stated that Africa’s economic prospects over the last decade remain very high and very optimistic

“On the economic front, Africa is transforming very fast with a rapid and sustained economic growth over the last decade. Many African countries continue to grow at a fast pace averaging 4.5% in 2014 and projected to grow at 5.1% this year” he noted.

He called on all well-meaning nations to help protect Africa which is becoming a major target for the threat of terrorism and associated crime since Africa represents tomorrow's alternative for the globe.

Editorial

PROPAGANDA

If you want to know what propaganda is then please try listening to Dr  Mahamoud Bawumia, Vice Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party(NPP).

He held a press conference in Accra and said, the cost of building a new airport at Ho is US$25 million and the cost of just resurfacing the runway at the Kumasi Airport is US$20 million.

Then he poses the question “was the Kumasi runway paved with gold?”

Woow!

Let’s examine the claims of Dr Bawumia.

 Dubai airport is so big that the resurfacing of its runway can probably build 30 or more of Kotoka International airport?

Can there be something wrong here?

Let’s be careful or we might swallow propaganda as fact.