The minority in parliament has become aware of a statement attributed to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources indicating that it has granted a Mining lease to Barari DV Ghana Ltd., a unit of the Sydney-based company, to enable it to start commercial operation of lithium mining at Ewoyaa in the Central Region for 15 years.
The release further indicates that the company intends to commence operations in the first quarter of 2024.
For the avoidance of doubt , Article 268 of the 1992 Constitution is explicit, as it states that any transaction including but not limited to the application for a licence to exploit a natural resource requires a prior Parliamentary approval. The clarity of this constitutional provision leaves no room for any ambiguity or circumvention.
We wish to caution the Akuffo-Addo/Bawumia led government not to allow any commercial mining of Ghana’s lithium resources without the necessary parliamentary approval. Any such move would be illegal and unconstitutional.
In view of this, the minority in Parliament wish to unreservedly warn the government and all individuals and entities engaged in any commercial mining or the exploitation of our natural resources without parliamentary approval to desist from such activities as they do so at their own peril.
Such violations, if allowed to continue, do not only undermine the democratic principles upon which our great nation stands but also threaten the future of our environment, economy, and the well-being of our citizens.
We urge the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to lay all such mineral agreements before Parliament for consideration without any further delay.
Thank you.
– Hon John Abdulai Jinapor
(Ranking Member -Mines and Energy)
