Ghana Is Being ‘Exploited’ By Extractive Companies – Sophia Akuffo

A member of the Council of State, Sophia Akuffo, has raised concerns about the policy regulating the extraction of Ghana’s mineral resources.

She has also questioned how the proceeds are apportioned between the state and foreign investors.

Speaking on Hot Issues on TV3 Sunday, February 23, 2025 the former Chief Justice

wondered why Ghana is still entering into contracts with extractive companies on its natural resources and end up being “exploited”.

She described the mineral concession agreements between Ghana and foreign investors as woefully unfavourable for the country.

According to her, when compared recent agreements made by the state to other jurisdictions, Ghana is overly being exploited and has called for the agreement to be re-looked.

Madam Sophia Akuffo was commenting on the critical areas the Council of State could be looking at, aside from issues that would be presented to them by the President, where she said the Constitution needs to be reviewed to tackle agreements on Ghana’s extractive industry.

“What should be our policy on our natural resources, the things under our ground which we don’t seed or feed and which belongs to us totally, but when it comes to making use of it, we position ourselves to be exploited. I’m using that word very advisedly because when you read about systems and formulae used, some over ten years ago, in other jurisdictions, you keep asking yourself, “why are we still doing it like we are in the days of Governor Guggisberg?’” she questioned.

Justice Akuffo bemoaned the deplorable state of the mining communities where valuable resources are being explored without any benefit for the residents.

“You wonder and you end up with really pathetic towns where valuable mineral has been extracted for years, for decades, sometimes centuries and when you think of the amount of gold or diamond or whatever has been mined all those years and what it has done to the town, you ask yourself what went wrong, why and that’s something that needs to be attended to,” she reemphasised.

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