The Minority in Parliament is raising alarm over what it describes as a blatant constitutional violation by the government, following the extension of Gold Fields Ghana’s mining lease for its Damang site, without prior approval from Parliament.
At a media briefing over the weekend, Minority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, accused the government of acting unilaterally in renewing the lease, in clear breach of Article 268 of the 1992 Constitution.
The article requires all agreements involving the exploitation of Ghana’s natural resources to receive parliamentary ratification before coming into effect.
“The government has extended the lease and the company is already mining, yet Parliament has not been given the agreement to review and ratify,” Annoh-Dompreh said. “This is illegal, unconstitutional and an insult to parliamentary oversight.”
According to the Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP, despite existing legal precedents — including a Supreme Court ruling affirming the necessity of parliamentary approval for mineral resource agreements — the executive has proceeded to allow Gold Fields to continue operations without presenting the lease extension to the legislature.
The Damang Mine, located in the Western Region, is a significant asset in Ghana’s gold mining sector. Its lease renewal was expected to follow due process, particularly under an administration that claims to uphold good governance.
However, Annoh-Dompreh says the Minority’s investigations have revealed the lease was secretly extended without transparency or legislative input.
“You cannot allow a mining company to operate under an extended agreement and only later attempt to rush the ratification through Parliament when you have the numbers. That’s a rubber-stamp approach, not democracy,” he added.
Beyond the constitutional issue, the Minority is also accusing the government of ignoring environmental responsibilities.
Frank Annoh-Dompreh criticised the recent passed Gold Board Act, which allocated nearly $400 million for gold-related activities but failed to set aside any funds for environmental protection, including land and water reclamation.
“How do you budget hundreds of millions of dollars to manage gold but nothing to repair the lands and rivers destroyed by mining? This government is focused on the revenue but not the consequences,” he charged.
He stressed that mining activities, if not properly regulated, have serious health and environmental impacts, including mercury contamination, polluted water bodies, and loss of fertile farmland — all of which threaten food security and public health.
The Minority argues that responsible mining must be tied to enforceable environmental safeguards. They are pushing for all mining lease agreements to include specific clauses on sustainability, water conservation, and land restoration.
“It’s not just about gold. It’s about the people, the land, and the future. We cannot continue to mine in ways that destroy our environment and compromise the health of generations,” Annoh-Dompreh said.
He expressed concern that government rhetoric about regulating the mining sector, including a promised categorisation system to better monitor activities, has not materialised. The failure to implement such systems, he noted, leaves room for abuse and environmental degradation.
The Minority insists the lease agreement must be immediately brought before Parliament and subjected to rigorous scrutiny. They have warned that allowing companies to operate on unratified leases undermines parliamentary authority and threatens Ghana’s democratic checks and balances.
“Parliament is not a post office. We will not simply receive documents to endorse. These agreements must be debated and properly assessed, especially in terms of environmental impact.”
By Stephen Larbi
