Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh has accused the Mahama administration of violating the Constitution by extending the Damang Mine lease without parliamentary approval, calling it a blatant breach of Article 268(1).
The lease, held by Abosso Goldfields Limited — a subsidiary of Goldfields Limited — was allegedly renewed without the required ratification from Parliament, in direct violation of Article 268(1) of the 1992 Constitution. Speaking to journalists last Friday, the Nsawam-Adoagyiri MP described the Executive’s action as an “egregious disregard for the rule of law.”
“Article 268 is crystal clear — no mining lease can be granted or extended without parliamentary approval. The Executive’s decision to bypass Parliament is unconstitutional and dangerous,” Annoh-Dompreh charged.
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He revealed that attempts to raise the matter with the Majority Leader at the Business Committee have gone unanswered, despite earlier verbal agreements to address the issue.
“This is not about partisan politics or illegal mining. It’s about respect for the Constitution, environmental responsibility, and the health of our people. Ghana cannot afford to operate mining concessions in a legal vacuum,” he said.
Annoh-Dompreh stressed the devastating impact of irresponsible mining on land, water bodies, food security, and public health, citing mercury and heavy metal contamination as a national emergency.
“Our water bodies are being poisoned, our lands destroyed. Yet, the government proceeds to extend mining contracts without parliamentary oversight. This is not just unconstitutional — it is reckless and short-sighted,” he warned.
He also slammed what he described as the skewed allocation of resources in the mining sector, noting that nearly $400 million was allocated to the newly created Ghana Gold Board without a single cedi earmarked for environmental sustainability or land reclamation.
“Where is the government’s commitment to responsible mining? Planting trees is good PR, but it cannot replace the deliberate omission of environmental recovery in our budget. This is greenwashing at its worst,” he criticized.
While acknowledging that Goldfields-Damang is operating under the extended lease, Annoh-Dompreh made it clear that the legal burden lies with the Executive, not the company.
“The President must bring the agreement before Parliament. Until then, Parliament cannot exercise its constitutional oversight, and the lease remains unratified — and therefore unconstitutional,” he stated.
He issued a stern warning, indicating that if the government fails to rectify this breach, the Minority will explore every legal avenue, including petitioning the Supreme Court.
“We will not sit idly by while this government tramples on the Constitution. If the President refuses to act, we will act. This is not just about gold — it’s about Ghana’s future, our environment, our laws, and our sovereignty,” Annoh-Dompreh declared.
He called on the media and civil society to hold the government accountable and shine a spotlight on what he termed “a constitutional crisis in the making.”
By Osumanu Al-Hassan/thenewsbulletin24.com