Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has suggested that despite claims that Ghana's Lithium agreement is good, it might have negative consequences in the long run.
Recently, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, signed a deal with an Australian company to mine Lithium in the Central Region.
Speaking at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra as a Distinguished Scholar, Sophia Akuffo recommended that the government should create a local company to mine Lithium instead of letting foreign companies handle it.
“The Republic of Ghana should establish a Ghana Lithium Company. The Ghana Lithium Company should be commissioned to develop the entire value chain, from mining raw lithium to the manufacture of batteries and other products in Ghana,” the former Chief Justice said.
She emphasized the need to follow global standards and build a local refinery before starting the mining. This way, there won't be excuses like "we're still building the refinery, so we have to export raw materials." Akuffo believes this approach would be better for Ghana in the long term.
“Current international best practices and a local refinery must be established before extraction commences so that there will be no excuses such as ‘we haven’t finished building the refinery, therefore, we are, as usual, exporting raw products" she concluded.
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Former Chief Justice, Sophia Akuffo