The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has dismissed calls by the Minority in Parliament for the resignation or removal of the sector minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, describing the demands as baseless and illogical.
The Minority in Parliament has been calling for the minister’s resignation following the withdrawal of the lithium agreement, which they claimed contained inaccuracies and did not adequately protect the national interest.
They accused the minister of failing to exercise due diligence and questioned his credibility after he initially defended the agreement before withdrawing it for further consultations.
However, the ministry maintains that the withdrawal demonstrates responsiveness and commitment to transparency rather than incompetence, insisting that the outcome will reflect the collective input of stakeholders and benefit Ghana.
Reacting to the Minority’s position on Citi Eyewitness News on Wednesday, December 17, the Media Relations Officer of the ministry, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, said the calls lack merit and should be ignored by the Ghanaian public, stressing that processes surrounding the controversial lithium agreement are still ongoing.
Schandorf explained that extensive consultations are currently underway to ensure the agreement is improved and ultimately serves the best interests of the country.
He noted that as recently as Monday, the minister held a critical meeting with civil society organisations, during which diverse views were shared on how the deal could be strengthened.
He added that stakeholder engagement has also extended to affected communities. Just a day earlier, officials from the ministry, including himself, represented the minister at a community engagement in Ewoyaa and surrounding areas to gather additional input from residents.
“These engagements are aimed at gathering broader perspectives to make the draft agreement more beneficial to the country,” he said, questioning the rationale behind calls for the minister’s resignation while consultations are still ongoing.
Schandorf argued that it does not align with logic or reason to accuse the minister of failure at a time when he is actively leading efforts to refine the agreement through stakeholder participation.
“For us at the ministry, the call should be outrightly dismissed,” he stated.
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