Heated exchanges in Parliament as Lithium and Bauxite agreements are laid

The much-awaited mining lease agreement between the government and Barari DV for the exploitation of lithium at Ewoyaa and Ashanti Bauxite Company for the mining of bauxite at Nyinahini has finally been laid in Parliament.

However, the process was not a smooth one. It was characterized by heated exchanges among Minority MPs, challenges to the decision by the Second Deputy Speaker, and subsequent reversal of the decision by Andrew Asiamah by his boss, Alban Bagbin.

The laying of the two agreements was scuttled by the Minority due to a lack of quorum on Monday.

That impediment was absent today. However, Minority Chief Whip Governs Kwame Agbodza strongly pleaded with the Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who was presiding, to make the referral to the Committee on Lands and Natural Resources and not that of Mines and Energy, with John Jinapor as Ranking Member.

According to the Adaklu MP, the request was to ensure no rush job was done.

The meaning read into the comments of the Minority Chief Whip was that John Jinapor would be conflicted if he sat on agreements from the ministry headed by his brother, Samuel Abu Jinapor.

The Ranking Member for Mines and Energy, however, did not take these comments from his leader lightly and made that abundantly clear.

Second Deputy Speaker Andrew Amoako Asiamah consequently referred the two agreements to a joint committee of Lands and Natural Resources and Energy.

The development brought Deputy Ranking Member for the Committee on Lands and Natural Resources, Alhassan Suhuyini, to his feet, challenging the decision in the strongest of terms.

When Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin subsequently took back his seat, the decision of his deputy was reversed, relieving the Energy Committee of any responsibility for the two agreements.

He, however, tasked the Lands and Natural Resources Committee, as well as four members of the leadership of both sides and himself, to supervise the deals.

The former Nadowli-Kaleo MP further disclosed that he would partake in the deliberations on the agreements given the public interest in the matter.

Alban Bagbin urged the committee to work under no pressure since it has up to the expiration of the tenure of the 8th Parliament to present its report.