Salt mining company, residents trade blame after mother, 3 children drown at Laklevipoke

On September 17, 2022, a mother and her three children drowned in a pit while fishing at Laklevikope in the Volta Region.

The incident has resulted in a banter of blames between local residents of Liklevikope and Seven Seas Salt Mining Company Limited.

On one hand, members of the community say the activities of the mining company have led

Read full articleto the death of six residents so far.

According to the residents, the company has dug a number of dykes along fish ponds owned by community members.

While the community members go through the lagoon on foot during fishing expeditions due to the low level of the water, they note that the dikes dug by the mining company leaves deep trenches in the water that poses a threat to the residents.

According to the residents, the company has also failed to erect warning signposts to guide the residents.

The Municipal Director of NADMO, Torgbui Paul Alossode who has reiterated the allegation against the company has called on the salt mining company to “halt the creation of more dikes in the lagoon.”

Company casts counter blame on residents

On their part, Management of Seven Seas Salt Mining Company Limited have blamed the deaths on the activities of residents of Laklevikope.

According to the management of the company, the residents have dug dykes along their fish ponds which rather poses danger to other residents.

The Public Relations Officer for the Company, Adams Mensah in an interview with Citinews rejected the accusations by the residents.

“Where the incident happened, they have a fish pond which members of the communities dug,” he said.

Mr Mensah however admitted that the company was yet to erect warning signs along the dykes dug by the company.

“We actually came up with a warning signpost. In actual fact, our plan was to start planting them on Monday. Unfortunately, the incident occurred on Saturday,” Mr. Mensah said.

GA/WA