President Akufo-Addo has assured the people of Ada of government’s determination to develop the salt industry in the area.
He said the industry has the potential of developing the petro-chemical industry and serve as a foreign exchange earner for the country.
President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance when a delegation of Chiefs from the Ada Traditional Council paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House.
The Salt Industry in Ghana has a potential production capacity of 2.2 million tonnes, but can only manage a maximum of 250,000 tonnes, representing 10 per cent of what nature offers on the coast. Ada area alone can boast of over half the capacity of the national production.
The potential salt production capacity in the Ada area that is Songor Salt Project and Solar Salt is about 1.4 million tons out of which only 100,000 metric tons is being produced.
The area is losing about 135 million annually due to low levels of production. It is for this reason that four land owners of Ada has come together to seek the help of government in developing the industry.
The visit to the seat of government was to among other things inform the President of the decision made by the Chiefs in Ada to do away with factions in the salt industry.
President Akufo-Addo noted generation after generation has given talk about the potential of the salt industry for the country, especially the salt industry based in Ada but very little had been done about the growth of the industry.
“I think the time has come for all of us to put our heads together and find a way forward. It will bring a lot of benefits to the country in terms of the contribution it will make to the petrochemical industry. As you all know, salt is a crucial ingredient in all the petrochemical products that we are hoping now to develop out of our oil fields,” President Akufo-Addo stated.
President Akufo-Addo was delighted about the Chiefs decision to seek government intervention in developing the industry.
He said now that there has been consensus, government will vigorously develop the salt industry in Ada.
The President also assured them that Government will help protect their lands from sea erosion adding that he will bring the erosion challenge to the attention of the relevant authorities, especially the Ministry of Works and Housing in order to get it addressed.
The Mankralo of the Ada Traditional Area and spokesperson of the Chiefs, Nene Obikyere Agudey, appealed to President Akufo-Addo to intervene in developing the Industry. He noted that the four land owners of Ada Traditional Area have come together and we say we are ready.
All the impediments, all the problems that we have had that has militated against this take off, we the people of Ada will forever remember you that you are the single person who through your tenure have been able to bring salt production to its maximum,” the Ada Paramount Chief added.
