Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has entered discussions concerning Ghana's lithium mining agreement with Barari DV Ghana Limited.

He expressed concern over Ghana's practice of exchanging mineral resources solely for royalties, deeming it unfortunate.

Ablakwa highlighted that Western countries accumulate wealth by not selling their mineral resources outright but rather by hiring people to work on them and compensating them accordingly.

“The reason why all the countries of the Middle East are filthy rich is because the oil that they have belongs to them. All the companies that go there to explore for oil are contracted, they are paid, and they don't own the oil. We have lithium in large quantities and we are allowing someone to come and take it and go and sell it. You will not bring 100 percent of the money to Ghana; you give us 10 percent," he said during a meeting with the Christian Council on Tuesday, December 12.

According to Ablakwa, it is foolish to distribute the mineral resources at the current rate without providing the necessary returns.

“I have raised this matter some 20 years or more years ago, this question about having minerals and letting somebody come and give you royalty as if , it is the stupidity of the stupidities. The lithium agreement is not in the interest of Ghana, that is my view and if you agree with me, then let us make a statement in support of the IEA to say that we do not think that this agreement is in the interest of Ghana,” he added.