Concerned Ada Leaders petition CHRAJ over unwarranted human rights abuses

A section of leaders at Ada has petitioned to invoke the investigative mandate of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice(CHRAJ) on matters of human rights abuses in Ada by ElectroChem Ghana Limited.

Also, the move is to alert CHRAJ to look into the unreasonably high-level rights abuses corroborated by the Ghana Police Service(GPS), supervised by the Minister of Interior, the Minister of Defence, and the Inspector General of Police.

Though the petition was made more than five clear months ago, the petitioners are yet to receive any official response from the Commission.

The petition has outlined unlawful conduct and evident abuse of policing power of the GPS and taskforce of ElectroChem Ghana Limited which abuses, constitute a violation of fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals within the affected communities.

Affected communities include but are not limited to Bonikope, Salom-Madagber, Medie, Lufenya, and Luhuor.

The rest are Toflokpo, Kablevu, and several communities located along the Ada Songor Lagoon and environs where individuals are engaged in sea salt production.

The petition seeks the Commission's intervention to stop the unwarranted fundamental human rights violations as the petitioners wish to abide by territorial laws to avoid reprisal attacks. 

BACKGROUND

The Mineral Commission in 2019 granted three mining leases covering an area of One hundred and fifty point thirty-four square kilometers(158.34 sqm) in and around the Ada Songor Lagoon site to ElectroChem Limited.

The operations on the vast land size for sea salt farming granted ElectroChem have resulted in various degrees of assault on indigenous people within the area.

The petition for investigations has been necessary following the incessant brutalities visited on the indigenes of the Congo Basin by the anti-peace task force of ElectroChem, Ghana Police Service, and the military.

Sadly, a peaceful protest staged by members of communities facing the brunt of brutality for which reason police officers were deployed to protect and ensure peace, rather than decided to indiscriminately fire at the unarmed demonstrators who posed no threat to the peace of the community, an act that constitutes a clear case of human rights violations as indicated by the petition.

The excessive and unreasonable use of power by the trio is unfortunate.

Given that the state vests the power to protect citizens in the police service, they have rather failed but continue to collaborate to create unrest in the area.

Detailing the level of abuses, the petition states that on the 5th of February 2021, one Alhasan, a task force of ElectroChem, and some police personnel led by one Inspector Francis Aquaye invaded the Salom-Madagber community shot, and injured community members with cutlasses.

As if that was not enough, the midnight of 14 June 2021 saw a massive abuse of rights when the then Sege District Commander, DSP George Aboagye invaded Media and Lufenya communities, forcibly broke into homes assaulted and arrested some members of the community including Evans Korley, Joshua Korley, Peter Alihanor Korley, Numo Abraham Kuku Ayormu(Apertey Wornor traditional priest), and Godwin Ayornu.

Michael Lomotey Dameh at gunpoint at Bonikope.

These individuals appear to oppose ElectroChem's monopoly of salt production.

On August 9, 2021, some officials of the Ghana Police Service together with private armed men were deployed to Salom, Toflokpo, and Bonikope unjustifiably arrested and detained some twenty-three(23) individuals including three chiefs and one Christiana Morjifah who just came out of the bathroom half naked.

On October 22, 2021, the police teamed up with ElectroChem's armed men to brutally assault men, women, children, and the elderly total of Thirty-seven(37) persons including a seventy-five-year-old helpless woman from the Luhuor community.

The September 8, 2022 attack on the Kablevu community where indigenes were subjected to inhumane treatment by these same enemies of peaceful living with another on December 16, 2022 raid by police and ElectroChem's armed men arresting the chief of the town, Nene Mailo Dadebom Anim II who was brutally beaten while handcuffed and dragged to the ground thereby breaking his arm leaves much to be desired of a democratic state.

All the above abuses defeat Ghana's subscription to the protection of fundamental human rights therefore calling on CHRAJ to expedite action to serve justice and compensate all victims.