The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is demanding full disclosure regarding the lithium deal.
In a press release signed by the National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, the party said the deal was not in the "interest of Ghana".
The opposition party questioned the creation of a "4.4% Equity in the name of "Previous Land Owners" in the shareholding structure of the company."
"It is interesting to note, that under the shareholding structure of the company, there is a 4.4% Equity in the name of "Previous Land Owners". In the spirit of transparency, the NDC demands a full disclosure of the identities of the Beneficial Owners of that 4.4% Equity and how that was arrived at. Ghanaians deserve to know who these “previous landowners” are," portions of the statement read.
In October this year, the government granted a mining lease to Barari DV Ltd, a subsidiary of Atlantic Lithium Ltd, for the exploitation of lithium in Ghana with the country to benefit 10% of royalties and own 19% shares in the company.
But some, including the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo, legal luminary, Sam Okudzeto and a host of others, have objected to the agreement.
The NDC, at a press conference yesterday, stated its stance on the deal
"In the face of all these pertinent issues, particularly, the non-existence of a feasibility report and a mandatory requirement for the local processing of our lithium resources, the NDC is of the view, that the Ghana-Barari Lithium deal is not in the best interest of Ghana. Thus, the ratification of the Mining Lease agreement executed by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP Government, should not even arise at this stage. It is our considered position, that Parliament should not consider the ratification of the Lease Agreement until all these pertinent issues are satisfactorily addressed in the best interest of Ghanaians," the opposition party said.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Noise making, the deal is going to Parliament - you have 137 MPs in the house - what is your problem?
If the politicians do not realize the loss, or diminishing, of confidence in multi-party politics in Ghana, they would be well advised to look critically at the way opposition politics is practiced. They must be mindful of the threat of demonstrations and the discontent expressed in the many allegations of corruption against those in power. The opposition party is too quick to accuse the ruling party of corruption, often based on perception. Forgetting that if you carelessly eat all your eggs, you lose your chickens too. If 4.4% is mentioned in a contract as equity allocated to the previous landowners, and you don't explicitly know the names of the owners, you can check before you go public with your criticism and not let it look like a corrupt deal. Furthermore, the politicians in Ghana should be concerned about the emergence of businessmen who are mobilizing the disappointed youth into political movements. The internet is a powerful tool today, and the Arab Spring is a case in point. Ken. Agyapong's factor in Ghana is a typical example of the successful mobilization of the youth into politics, just as Dr. Nkrumah mobilized the veranda boys..
The lithium deal is far better than the bauxite deals the NDC executed with Ibrahim Mahama's company in December prior to the exit of the NDC government. The NDC would have signed a worse deal but I think the NPP could have done better with this new deal based on lessons learnt from other mineral resources exploitation deals.