Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo

Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called for a review of the 1992 Constitution to ensure it adequately addresses agreements in the extractive industry.

She said that when recent agreements made by the state are compared to those of other jurisdictions, Ghana appears to be overly exploited, highlighting the need to re-evaluate these agreements.

Madam Akuffo, now serving on the Council of State, the advisory council to the President of Ghana, wondered why Ghana continues to enter into contracts with extractive companies regarding its natural resources.

This, she said, has resulted in Ghana being “exploited.”

In a recent media interview in Accra, the Council of State member questioned the policy guiding the extraction of Ghana’s mineral resources and how the proceeds are apportioned between the state and foreign investors.

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

“Why are we still doing it like we are in the days of Guggisberg?” the former Chief Justice queried.

Her calls were part of comments on critical areas the Council of State could examine beyond issues presented to them by the President.

She asked, “What should be our policy on our natural resources?

“The things under our ground, which we don’t seed or feed and which belong to us entirely, but when it comes to making use of them, 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 bemoaned the deplorable state of mining communities where valuable resources are being extracted with little or no benefit for the residents.

Madam Akuffo said, “You wonder, and you end up with really pathetic towns where a 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 somewhere, why, and that’s something that needs to be addressed,” she reemphasized.