Lithium Deal: ‘Somebody’ is Talking – Abu Jinapor ‘Attacks’ Sophia Akuffo in Reply

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Abu Jinapor has replied criticism of Ghana’s Lithium Deal by former CJ Sophia Akuffo referring to her as “somebody”. 

The former CJ while speaking as a Distinguished Scholar of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra last week criticized Ghana’s Lithium Deal with an Australian mining giant.

“My legal view is that it is a transaction that requires ratification, it is not complete. This is a document, it is signed and sealed and delivered but it is a deal that has to be ratified by a named authority, that is the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana,” she said of the deal.

She added: “It is not different in principle in the substance from any of Ghana’s previous colonial times types of agreements, some call it the Guggisberg model, whatever description, all those agreements are colonial type of agreements, which over the years have yielded very little good to the overall benefit of the average Ghanaian”.

But Abu Jinapor says she spoke without any evidence, referring to her at a point as “somebody” talking.

“The royalty rate that we negotiated for is 10% – all mining firms in Ghana from 1957 pay royalty rate of 5%. We successfully negotiated 10%, when you go to Australia it’s 5%, Mali is 6%, and Zimbabwe 5%, then somebody says it is a bad deal, throw it away,” he said.

“One other point she made is that anybody who support this transaction must have benefitted unduly, here I am, I support the deal, I must have benefitted unduly? No evidence? No basis for that….. When I went to law school first year, Her Ladyship Sophia Akuffo taught me that the cardinal rule of the game is evidence, because this is brush to brush everybody who supports this transaction and more or less casts insinuation and compromise our integrity when we all know the rule of the game is evidence,” he added.