Lands Ministry dismisses Minority’s demand for Armah Buah’s removal as unfounded

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has rejected calls by the Minority in Parliament for the resignation or removal of the sector minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, describing the demands as baseless and lacking logical justification.

The Minority has been pressing for the minister’s resignation following the withdrawal of a lithium agreement, which they argue contained inconsistencies and failed to sufficiently safeguard Ghana’s national interest. They accused the minister of inadequate due diligence and questioned his credibility after he initially defended the deal before withdrawing it for further consultations.

However, the ministry insists that the decision to withdraw the agreement reflects accountability, transparency and responsiveness, rather than incompetence, stressing that the process is still ongoing and intended to produce a stronger outcome for the country.

Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Wednesday, December 17, the ministry’s Media Relations Officer, Paa Kwesi Schandorf, said the Minority’s calls lack merit and should not be taken seriously by the public.

He explained that extensive stakeholder consultations are currently underway to refine and improve the agreement to ensure it ultimately serves Ghana’s best interests.

Schandorf revealed that the minister held an important meeting with civil society organisations on Monday, during which various proposals were made on how to strengthen the deal. He added that consultations have also reached affected communities.

According to him, officials from the ministry, including himself, represented the minister at a community engagement in Ewoyaa and nearby areas just a day earlier to gather feedback from residents.

“These engagements are meant to gather broader perspectives so the draft agreement becomes more beneficial to the country,” he said, questioning the logic behind calls for the minister’s resignation while consultations are still in progress.

Schandorf maintained that it would be unreasonable to accuse the minister of failure when he is actively leading efforts to improve the agreement through inclusive stakeholder participation.

“For us at the ministry, the call should be outrightly dismissed,” he stated.