Political scientist, Prof Ransford Gyampo, has expressed disappointment in the Minerals Commission’s stance on the agreement between government and Barari DV Limited on mining lithium in Ghana.
According to him, despite the efforts made by the Commission to help facilitate the agreement, such move will not be allowed to see the light of day. He revealed that the decision to convince chiefs in Mfantseman will not yield the desired results.
“Dear Minerals Commission, You can hide behind the colonial legal regime to aid foreigners to rob Ghanaians off their natural resources. But this won’t happen on Mfantseman soil. Let your foreigners go mine in the sea, they will get fish.”
Prof Ransford Gyampo
Furthermore, Prof Gyampo indicated that he had a discussion with two key chiefs in Mfantseman and sensitized them on the Lithium agreement with government.
With this, he questioned why the foreigners are “cornering” the chiefs to be receptive to the deal.
“There are many educated elites in Mfantseman. Why are they not being spoken to?”
Prof Ransford Gyampo
Despite the resolve by these “foreigners” to convince the chiefs in Mfantseman, Prof Gyampo expressed gratitude to the Omanhene of Nkusukum, Omanhene of Dominase, Omanhene of Mankessim and the Omanhene of Ekumfi for their resolute position on the matter.
He highlighted that the discussion with the chiefs on “Lithium robbery” has been an insightful one.
Moreover, with the current stance of government on the lithium agreement with a foreign entity, Prof Gyampo questioned whether a Ghanaian investor can go to Australia to mine Lithium and take 87% and give the Australian government 13%.
To this, he emphasized that investors can’t be more “sensible” than Ghanaians.
“We sat in the same classroom with some of them and beat them in exams! But why will a government agency facilitate a Lithium deal that would only be pretty good, but won’t be in the best interest of the country? Is it ignorance, wickedness, or connivance with robbery for secret personal gain?
Prof Ransford Gyampo
Commenting on the position of the CEO of the Commission, Martin Ayisi on the agreement, Prof Gyampo described him as an “arrogant chap”.
He stated that although Niger was the “last but one poorest country in the world prior to their recent coup”, it is the fastest growing economy in the world, simply because, it has now taken full control over its natural resources. Ghana, on the other hand, he maintained is “sick”.
“Where is the PRO of the Commission? He can pander to his own incompetence, but he must leave the Lithium in the soil if Ghana cannot get 50% of the proceeds.”
Prof Ransford Gyampo
Lithium deal not the best for Ghana
Meanwhile, former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, has maintained that the Lithium agreement that Ghana has signed is not the best for the nation.
She revealed that the only way some people will say it is good for the country is because someone is going to have undue benefit from the agreement.
“This deal is not the best… People’s undue benefits must be floating around somewhere that is why somebody will find this a perfect, wonderful lease agreement…”
Sophia Akuffo
Madam Akuffo contended that there are all forms of extraction methods which are much better than the one which is currently being offered the country. She noted that the lease is not necessarily the best methodology and that there are so many other better methodologies out there which can be considered.
“There is a joint venture, there is a service contract, and even the service contract of many different permutations. This deal is not the best for Ghana. It is like percentages, what is the base figure? If you add some super miserable formulation to this, then we will say that is the best Ghana has had. Yes, maybe it is, but it is not the best Ghana could have had.”
Sophia Akuffo
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