Minority caucus raises concerns over lithium agreement ratification
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has expressed strong reservations about the ratification of a lithium agreement, pointing to what it describes as legal breaches and procedural irregularities.
The agreement, laid before Parliament by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has been faulted by the Caucus for what it says is a lack of transparency and failure to comply with established legal provisions.
Speaking to the Parliamentary Press Corps on Wednesday, the NPP Member of Parliament for Juaben, Mr Francis Kwabena Berepong Owusu-Akyaw, stated that, “The agreement does not meet the requirements of LI 2176 and LI 184D and needs to be revised to be fit for purpose.”
He explained that the deal grants a company the right to mine lithium and other minerals, while simultaneously permitting third parties to operate in the same concession area, a situation he described as contradictory.
“Additionally, the agreement was not stamped and registered within 21 days of signing, as required by law,” the MP stated.
Although the Majority Caucus had earlier suggested that the agreement was rejected on legal grounds, Mr Owusu-Akyaw challenged this assertion, noting that the law referenced had since been amended.
“We are telling the minister to withdraw the agreement and revise it to address the issues.
“The agreement has irregularities, including exemptions granted to the company without clear justification,” he said.
He further noted that although the Sustainability Levy had been increased from one per cent to 10 per cent, this adjustment was not captured in the agreement.
The Minority Caucus therefore called for greater transparency and strict adherence to the law and the Constitution, stressing that Ghana’s natural resources must ultimately serve the interests of its citizens.
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee on Lands and Natural Resources has commenced a review of the lithium agreement between the Republic of Ghana and Barari DV Ghana Limited, with the aim of ensuring the country secures maximum benefit from its mineral resources.
Commenting on the expected impact, the Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said:
“The benefits that we stand to benefit from are that if it is provided by law, whilst Lithium or the company mining lithium will be paying ten per cent or whatever percentage the minister will bring. The other mining companies will also pay the same,”
At a press conference held at Parliament House, Accra, on Tuesday, November 25, the Committee called on stakeholders to submit their views as part of a broader consultation process before the report is presented to plenary.
He added, “The committee is not in a hurry to pass without taking the views of the public on board.”
“We will not ratify until we have done extensive engagement with critical stakeholders in this country or beyond,” the Chairman emphasised.
Alhaji Dauda, who also serves as the NDC MP for Asutifi South, expressed optimism that the Minister would introduce amendments to clearly define a uniform royalty rate applicable to all mining firms, to ensure consistency and fairness.
“We wish to indicate that the government, parliament, and Ghana seek to enhance benefits derived from mining in the country. Everybody is concerned about the benefits that Ghana derives from mining, and we want to take every step to ensure we benefit more,” he said.
On Tuesday, November 11, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah officially laid the renegotiated lithium lease agreement between the Government of Ghana and Barari DV Limited before Parliament for ratification, in accordance with Article 268 of the 1992 Constitution.
He explained on the floor of Parliament that the renegotiation became necessary following a significant drop in global lithium prices, which declined from $3,000 per tonne to $630.
Subsequently, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, referred the agreement to the Committee on Lands and Natural Resources for further examination.
Source: GNA
