The Minerals Commission has revealed that it will on December 7, 2023, clarify the nature and terms of mining lease between the Government of Ghana and Barari DV Ghana Limited.

According to the Commission, clarification of the matter has become relevant following some misgivings in the public domain.

It indicated that its attention has been drawn to the comments and concerns by some members of the Ghanaian public regarding the mining lease between the Government of Ghana and Barari DV Ghana Limited.

This, it explained, comes on the heel of the announcement by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resource, Samuel Jinapor, at a brief ceremony on 19 October 2023, when he signed the first mining lease for the exploration of Lithium in Ghana and the publication of the lease on the website of the Commission.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission stated that the mining lease was granted for 15 years to Barari, which is the subsidiary of Atlantic Lithium Limited, an Australin company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and also on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange.

The lease, it noted, covers an area of 42.63km and around Ewoyaa in the Mfantseman municipality of the Central Region.

“Recognizing these concerns raised, the Commission has scheduled a press Conference on Thursday, 7th December 2023 to further explain the nature of the contract, and procedures, including the next step after the grant of the lease.”
Minerals Commission

Contained in a statement dated, December 4, signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, it highlighted that in spite of the publication of the lease, which is now widely available to the general public, it has become increasingly clear that the commentators have not read the agreement in its entirety.

As a result, the Commission explained that many of these concerns are based on assumptions that are inaccurate and assertions that are not supported by facts or any data.

To this end, the Commission assured the public of its utmost commitment to transparency and accountability in dealing with any mineral resources that rightly belongs to the people of Ghana.

“The Commission further assures the public that the lease was signed in the best interest of Ghana.”
Minerals Commission

Elsewhere, political scientist, Prof Ransford Gyampo, has called on parliament to be more intentional about its stance on the Lithium deal.

He revealed that parliament must play its role as a “countervailing authority to stop the childish attempt at robbing” Ghanaians of their Lithium.

“For once, let there be a show down of genuine nationalism and patriotism possibly by the entire House.”
Prof Ransford Gyampo

Furthermore, Prof Gyampo called out the Minerals Commission’s “arrogance and dismissiveness” about the attempt to “rob” Ghanaians off their Lithium.

However, he stated that Ghanaians won’t douse their resolve to resist the Commission’s unpatriotic connivance with “foreign thieves”.

Atlantic Lithium Limited sets timeline for Lithium mining

Meanwhile, Atlantic Lithium Limited has set sight on late 2024 for the commencement of construction and early 2025 for initial production at the Ewoyaa Lithium Project in Ghana, marking significant progress in establishing Ghana’s first lithium mine.

Atlantic Lithium Limited announced significant advancements in its flagship Ewoyaa Lithium Project in Ghana, West Africa.

The project’s development encompasses several strategic advancements: the awarding of a Bulk Customer Permit for electricity requirements, promising a reduction in power costs of 30-50%; the progression of key contracts.

This include discussions for the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Management (EPCM) contract, and tender processes for appointing a mining contractor and procuring essential equipment; the expected redirection of transmission lines across the project site in Q2 2024 is another significant step.

Keith Muller, CEO of Atlantic Lithium, stated that with the mining lease granted in October 2023, the company is firmly on the path to establishing Ewoyaa as Ghana’s first lithium mine.

“Our progress towards shovel readiness has been bolstered by the local community’s incredible support and active stakeholder engagement. The Flotation Scoping Study’s results reinforce our plans for a flotation circuit to enhance material recovery, and we’re making headway on various studies and commercial contracts critical to the project.”
Keith Muller