Reject the "childish" lithium lease — Prof Gyampo petitions Parliament, slams Minerals Commission

A senior political science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo has petitioned Parliament to stop the controversial lithium mining lease agreement, describing it as a "childish attempt".

In a Facebook post on Sunday, December 3, Prof Gyampo told Parliament to “play its role as a countervailing authority to stop the childish attempt at robbing us off our Lithium. For once, let there be a show down of genuine nationalism and patriotism possibly by the entire House."

He further stated: "The Minerals Commission’s arrogance and dismissiveness about the attempt to rob Ghanaians off their Lithium, won’t douse our resolve to resist their unpatriotic connivance with foreign thieves. Nnwifo!"

Referring to Ghana's track record with mining deals, Prof Gyampo added: "We have given our gold and oil to foreigners virtually for free and are going round begging IMF for coins. We want to do same to our Lithium? Not all Ghanaians are dumb. We will resist this with our blood."

This comes on the back of a Lithium Mining Agreement signed on the 20th day of October, 2023 between the Government of the Republic of Ghana and Barari DV Ghana Limited, leasing a certain piece of land at Ewoyaa, in the Mfantsiman Municipality and granting rights to mine Lithium and 'other associated minerals', for a term of 15 years from the date of the agreement.

The signed lithium lease has drawn widespread criticism for allegedly giving away Ghana's natural resources on subpar terms.

Through his petition, Prof Gyampo seeks to galvanize patriotic resistance to what he describes as a "childish" and unpatriotic attempt to dispose of Ghana's mineral resources cheaply.