Dr John Abu, Minister of Mines and Energy, on Wednesday ordered the immediate stoppage of the production and sale of salt and all activities at the Salt Development Project Task Force number two-factory site.

In a statement issued in Accra, Dr Abu said the order follows a joint police and military operation to stop the illegal production of salt at the site Subsequently, the assets and accounts of the task force have been frozen and members have been requested to report to the police.

The Serious Fraud Office is to investigate reports of misappropriation and other financial malpractice of the task force number two and persons connected with it. Dr Abu explained that following the empasse over salt production in Ada Songhor area in the Greater Accra region, government set up a team to assess the situation.

"It was noted that various efforts to resolve the matter had failed because of the recalcitrance of a few individuals. These individuals formed the task force and entered illegally into the government salt development project task force factory to engage in illegal sale of the salt as well as other activities that were inconsistent with the spirit of negotiation in progress."

He said in the process, the group made huge monetary gains to the detriment of the people. "This has resulted in agitation by various groups of people causing pronounced insecurity in the area." Dr Abu said salt is regarded under the law as a mineral for which reason certain portions of the Ada Songhor area was acquired and vested in the state for the purpose of developing it.

"It does not therefore lie within the power of any group of people to take over or engage in any activities that are in flagrant breach of the laws of the country," he said. The salt development project task force set up earlier by government is also to be reconstituted to ensure that the objectives of the Songhor salt project are achieved.

Dr Abu assured people living in the area that government is committed to the development of the salt industry and its action is in their best interest