“Seven Seas Company Ltd, has no environmental permit to operate in its Adafienu, Agavedzi, Blekusu areas” – Hon. Dr. Afriyie, Minister for Environment Science, Technology and Innovation in his response to questions filed in Parliament by Hon. Dzudzorli Gakpey on Thursday the 3rd day of November, 2022.
“Seven Seas Company Limited has secured every legitimate document to operate in its Adafienu concessions” – Hon. Achibald Yao Letsa, in his address to the press after his fact-finding meeting held between the Seven Seas Company, the Assemblymen and people of Ketu South and his regional representatives of Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The aforementioned pronouncement of the Regional Minister has raises suspicion and agitation among the citizenry of the Ketu South.
Most of the people who spoke to Fafaa FM after the Regional Minister’s encounter claimed the minister has conspired with the Seven Seas Company, one Togbi Adamah, and his regional regulators who accompanied him on the fact-finding visit to the Ketu South in response to a petition presented through the Ketu South Municipal Chief Executive Officer, Hon. Maxwell Kofie Lugudor on the 27th day of September, 2022.
They claimed the minister told lies to suggest that the company has secured all relevant documents from the appropriate authorities to continue mining salt in areas considered hazardous and life threatening.
During the massive demonstration held on the 27th day of September, 2022 and code named “Miekukum” to wit, “We are dying”, the people of Ketu South called on the president of Ghana, His Excellency, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo, to enforce the constitution of the republic of Ghana and halt the company from operating in areas considered unapproved, due to the fact that the company could not secure its environmental license to operate, but they have gone ahead to dig ponds in such areas to the detriment of the citizenry.
They further claimed that 16 of its illustrious citizens died as a result the illegitimate practices of the mining company.
Whereas the Hon. Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Dr. Afriyie in response to parliamentary question * 1316 filed by Hon. Dzudzorli Gakpey, MP for Keta Municipality revealed that the company has no environmental permit to operate in its Adafienu, Blekusu and Agavedzi concessions, the Volta Regional Minister and his alleged accomplices claimed the company has secured all necessary documents to operate within its concession and hence should continue its alleged illegitimate operations within the areas considered hazardous to the lives of the people.
The people alleged that the Regional Minister together with the Municipal Chief Hon. Maxwell Lugudor, and their accomplices including one Togbi Adamah who has collected the sum of Ghc 540,000 from the Seven Seas Company connived to their detriment.
The Regional Minister Dr. Letsa further claimed that Dr. Afriyie has confirmed to Parliament that the company secured its license to operate in its alleged unapproved EPA, concessions, an allegation Fafaa FM confirmed as false.
Fafaa FM on its fact-finding mission to the parliament house has confirmed from the voice recordings of proceedings of 3rd November, 2022 confirmed that the minister indeed confirmed on the floor of Parliament that the company has no environmental permit to operate within the said areas, even though they have applied, but the license is not yet granted.
Find below the voice records of Dr. Afriyie’s confirmation on the floor of parliamentary:
The allegations of conspiracy theory, bribery and corruption of stakeholders by seven seas company and its accomplice chief, Adamah is still lingering on the airwaves of Fafaa FM for clarifications by the said parties.
When Fafaa FM called the Volta Regional Minister in a follow up to the above findings, the minister pleaded for few days to reorganize himself, since he is busily preparing his reports.
Watch out for further developments. ………..
Source: duamenefafoundation.org / news editor in chief