Ghanaian statesman and lawyer, Sam Awuku Okudzeto, is of the view that Ghana should exploit their own minerals as well as control their mining sectors rather than hand it over to investors.
He made this statement during a constitutional reform event which took place on February 14, 2023 at the Institution of Economic Affairs (IEA).
Okudzeto said that China for example is deliberately exploiting the minerals in Ghana so they can create an avenue where Ghanaians will become dependent on them.
According to him, China is able to get gold from Ghana by intentionally importing their prisoners into the country.
Mr. Okudzeto further explained that, after the prisoners are brought into the country, they then transfer the gold to Togo and the Chinese pick it from Togo and export it to their country.
He stated, “We were allowing China to send prisoners to come to Ghana and they collect the gold. Now if you ask the Mineral Commission they will tell you it’s not true and I tell them you can’t fool a person like me. The truth is that, that gold, they take to Togo and they fly it to China”.
He thinks the reason why some investors are able to take control and exploit the minerals from other countries is because of how flexible the country’s policy is thus, there is the need to change a policy when the initial policy is not working on one’s behalf, he said.
Sam Okudzeto, who is an member of the Council of State said that some countries have been able to maintain their mining sectors as a result of the power they hold over their mining sectors. He then pinpointed these countries and they include Congo, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Africa.
“Have you been to Johannesburg. It is called the city of gold. How were all those sky scrapers and the rest you saw there, where did it come from. Because we forget in South Africa, mining is done by the South African even if they are white.
"The money remains in their country, the money does not go out. Here you are you allow somebody to take your money and sell the thing in dollar and you are going out to go and borrow dollar,” he posited.
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ED/WA
