ASLA, DESPA holds memorial ceremony for Radio Ada journalist

A memorial ceremony was held last Saturday, November 25, 2023, for the late Noah Narh Dameh, the Ada Radio presenter attacked by a group of unscrupulous hired hoodlums by Daniel McKorley.

The ceremony was attended by members of the Ada Songor Lagoon Association(ASLA), the Dangbe East Salt Producers Association(DESPA), the Libi Wornor, the Terkperbiawe Clan Stool father, the Asafoatsengua of Terkperbiawe Clan, the Terkperbiawe Queen mother, the chiefs, elders of Bornikope, the representatives of Ada Noryami Kpe in the diaspora as well as youth of all communities along the Songor Lagoon Basin.

A statement delivered on behalf of ASLA by the General Secretary, Mr. Ebenezer Adjaottor announced yet another deliberate killing perpetrated by a group of people believed to be land guards of Daniel McKorley and the Ghana police service at Toflokpo-Salom on November 6, 2023.

According to the statement, November 6 2023 remains a dark day in the face of human rights. He narrated that one Numo Korletey Agormeda together with his compatriots went to tend their salt farm along the Songor Lagoon but were attacked by a group of policemen together with ElectroChem land guards who descended on the locals destroying their rubber sheet on which they farm sea salt and in the process, a bullet from either McDan's landguards or personnel from the Ghana Police service hit and instantly killed him. This, ASLA said has raised the death toll to three(3).

Numo Sebi Agbenyefia met his untimely death from a police raid in Madagber-Salom while several others sustained various degrees of injuries following a similar unfortunate attack. 

 The statement further disclosed that the unacceptable and barbaric attack followed a 13th January 2023 raid where a gang of ten armed men invaded the studios of Ada Radio at Tetsonya, Big Ada, the workplace of the late Noah Demeh, and sought for his life chanting, "Where is Noah?, Where is Noah?" this according to the testimony of an eyewitness. 

"Noah Dameh's only  offence for  which the gangwas sent to kill him is that he was educating the residents of Ada on his radio program_"Manor Munyu" on ElectroChem's dubious, shoddy, and shambolic Business plan which Daniel McKorley used to obtain the mining leases.

"Having failed to kill him, the conspirators hatched another plan where they complained to the police station accusing him of the crime of defaming McDan", the statement added. 

After that report, the statement indicated, the Police arrested and detained him in police custody for weeks after which he was charged with the fallacious charges of defaming McDan.

Dameh, the statement indicated, was released from a police cell and re-arrested and detained in Tema Fishing Harbour and Tema New Town cells under extremely harsh conditions but acquitted and discharged after three days(72 hours).

Noah's health deteriorated such that the presiding Judge on his case could not identify him and almost issued a bench warrant for his arrest, the ASLA statement sadly noted. 

"The energetic and healthy Numo Noah Dameh who walked into the hands of Ghana Police Service returned a very sick and broken person. As to whether he was tortured, poisoned, or maltreated the sad end of the matter remained that he is dead".

"The sad irony is that the Akufo Addo government who is supposed to protect, is rather championing the visiting of brutalities and inhumane treatment thereby killing us", it said.

ASLA further expressed disappointment at the two Members of Parliament; Honourable Christian Corletey Otuteye and Hon. Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah and respective DCEs that is for both Ada West and East; Hon. Sampson Tetteh Kpankpah and Hon. Sarah Dugbakie Pobee for letting their respective districts down. 

According to ASLA, all the above-mentioned MPs and DCEs have remained damp in the face of glaring challenges within the two districts.

"...since parliament passed the so-called mining leases for McDan's ElectroChem, our MPs have never uttered a word of protest until Numo Korletey Agomeda was brutally killed by the Ghana Police and/or McDan's landguards on November 6, 2023", the group sadly disclosed.

"It is rather shameful for Doyoe to have pleaded to McDan to allow us to work. What a shameful thing to say, pleading with McDan who stole our land with the help of Akufo Addo and his government to allow us to work on land stolen from us? Do you have to beg somebody who has stolen our property to allow us to work on our land? ", ASLA queried. 

"Sadly, our DCEs say they will do the bidding of their appointing master, the president, and this we find disappointing, sad, and painful. It is clear that the political leaders we have in Ada lack the courage, moral fortitude, and integrity to seek the interest of the people of Ada Songor Lagoon", ASLA fumed.

ASLA Furtner added, "For the Ada Traditional Council, the least said about them, the better". 

ASLA concluded with a call on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, European Union Commission on Human Rights, and the ECOWAS Commission on Human Rights to mediate on their behalf based on human rights they have been preaching to protect rights for decent work as enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goal 8 which talks about decent work and sustainable growth. Reacting to the ongoing turbulence, Honourable Sampson Tetteh Kpankpah, District Chief Executive for Ada West urged residents to go ahead with their work.

He further added that McDan has agreed to allow anyone who wants to produce salt register with the Municipal Assembly at an undisclosed fee and be allocated a portion.