News 20 January 2024
President for the Central Regional House of Chiefs who doubles as the Paramount Chief of Breman Asikuma Traditional Area, Odeefo Amoakwa Buadu VIII has appealed to natives of the region that the time is now to welcome the government’s decision to have lithium mined in the region.
According to him, the brouhaha surrounding government’s lithium move, unknowingly poses a urge threat to Ghana’s value for money on its lithium deal with Barari DV Ghana Limited, as the global spot price for lithium witnessed a drastic 86% decline from December 2022 to December 2023 while the country continues to drag its feet as to when to commence operations on the mining of lithium.
This controversy emanated following government’s 10% stake agreement with Barari DV Limited as benefit due the country, which the Ghanaian populists agitated for an increase since the mineral was found in the country’s soil.
Available statistics regarding lithium suggest that prices for the mineral have declined from US$8,287.5 in December 2022 to US$1,110 as of December 2023, and down to US$995 as of January 10, 2024.
Therefore, Odeefo Amoakwa Buadu’s enumeration that the time is now for the people of the Central Region to embrace government’s plan to have lithium mined in the Central Region which comes along with several benefits now that the mineral has some value on the global market.
The Central Regional House of Chiefs President made this statement following the House’s stakeholders engagement meeting which was ably represented by Hon. George Mireku Duker, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Martin Kwaku Ayisi, Chief Executive Officer for the Minerals Commission of Ghana, Hon. Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister among many others.
He then charged all and sundry to rally behind the government in its lithium move and help alleviate poverty from the country.
The Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. George Mireku Duker in a media interaction expressed delight for the cordial reception his ministry got served by chiefs in the Central Region at the meeting.
He stressed that the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry will continually engage chiefs of the region to find a more prudent and lasting way to have the lithium mined in the region, having had chiefs in the Central Region consented to the move made by the government.
The Ghanaian government since 2018 granted Atlantic Lithium, a subsidiary of the Barari DV Ghana Limited the right to prospect areas in the Central Region like Ajumako, Gomoa, Mfantseman, and Effutu in the company’s quest to mine lithium in the country.
After years of successful prospecting, Barari DV has now been granted a mining lease in line with section 39(1) and 39(2) of the Act 703 respectively. As Ewoyaa, a suburb of the Mfantseman Constituency emerged to be the only place the company’s prospecting revealed to have lithium among the aforementioned places prospected.
Lithium amid its overwhelming price fall at the global market, comes along with essential by-products like koalin, fieldspar among several others when extracted, hence the eagerness by stakeholders in the country to have the mineral mined to benefit the country.
Source//Sompaonline.com/Eric Annan
