Independent Presidential Candidate, Dr. Sam Ankrah says only individuals with a colonial mindset would endorse the Lithium mining agreement between the Government of Ghana and Baran DV Ghana Limited.
The development economist argued that the lithium agreement should be entirely held by the State to maximise the benefits for the citizens of the country, rather than the government only owning a small share of the multi-billion dollar contract.
In an interview, Dr. Ankrah expressed his position that the arrangement is not acceptable in the modern era. He believes it demonstrates signs of corruption and lack of patriotism on the part of the negotiators, and should not be supported by any discerning Ghanaian.
In October 2023, the Ghanaian Government entered into a contract with Barari DV Ghana Limited to extract lithium from the Ewoyaa area in the Central Region. Upon the signing of the transaction, he recommended to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that he should adopt the leadership approach of Former President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who made sure that local agencies had authority over all mining concessions.
“Ghanaians have been unable to reap the benefits of the country’s abundant mineral resources for several years due to poor governance.
“The 2023 Lithium mining agreement bears no fundamental distinction in substance from Ghana’s previous colonial-era agreements, often referred to as the Guggisberg model. Regardless of the terminology used, all these agreements share a colonial nature and have historically provided minimal benefits to the average Ghanaian.
He emphasised the necessity for President Akufo-Addo to prioritise the welfare of the Ghanaian people by promptly cancelling the agreement. He strongly advises the Minister to refrain from fooling Ghanaians by making comparisons to deals inked by Liberia, Zimbabwe, and other countries. Instead, he suggests adopting a more forward-thinking approach and mentioning countries such as Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, Namibia, and Nigeria, which have complete ownership of the same resources.
Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo asserts that the Lithium Mining Agreement, entered into by the Government of Ghana and Barari DV Ghana Limited, will not provide advantageous outcomes for the Ghanaian population.
She asserts that the deal is fundamentally similar to prior ones that the country has entered into.
The ex-Chief Justice emphasised the necessity for the government to possess exclusive control of mining resources in order to guarantee that citizens reap its benefits.
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