Editorial (The Daily Searchlight, 27th November 2022)
The Ketu South Municipal Security Council (MUSEC) has given a four-day ultimatum to Seven Seas Salt Limited to mount danger signposts on its concessions on the Keta Lagoon.
Mr. Maxwell Koffie Lugudor, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ketu South and Chairman of the MUSEC said this was to ward off people and fishers from going near deep pit areas to fish and end up drowning in the lagoon.
He disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), on Monday, after the assembly had convened an emergency MUSEC meeting over Saturday’s drowning incident at Laklevikope which claimed lives of a 41-year-old woman and her three children who went to fish.
Some residents suspected a pit from the uncompleted dykes being constructed by the salt mining company for its operations as the cause of the drowning though the company denied the claim.
The people complained there was no form of protection around the dykes, neither was there any demarcation thus, serving as death trap to unsuspecting residents who depended on fishing in the lagoon.
About two months ago, two other persons reportedly drowned in separate incidents along that stretch of the lagoon when they attempted to fish.
The Daily Searchlight commends the Ketu South Municipal Security Council and the Ketu South Municipal Assembly for the quick and proactive stance and action it has taken to protect the lives of residents.
Even though investigations into the latest drowning incidents are ongoing, we believe that where there is a clear possibility of danger to human and animal lives, it behooves public authorities to take strong and immediate action, which is what the assembly has done.
Secondly, one would have expected that Seven Seas Salt Limited would have had the foresight to realize that its activities could pose a danger to citizens.
Even though investigations are ongoing into the latest incident (and we hope the company would not be found culpable) deep pits are deep pits and constitute a danger to human beings at any time.
We hope that further and proactive actions would be taken in this instance, and secondly, other authorities would be just as proactive when human lives are in danger.
