Government Must Reset Gold Fields Negotiation in Ghana’s Best Interest – Nana Frimpong Ziega

Political commentator Nana Frimpong Ziega has waded into the ongoing conversation surrounding the government’s reported decision not to renew the mining lease of Gold Fields Ghana.

Speaking on Maakye on Kessben TV, Ziega expressed strong sentiments about the matter, emphasizing that no sensible government would let go of a key economic contributor like Gold Fields without strategic reasoning.
“Let’s not forget, this is a company that once served as a main sponsor for the Black Stars when we were aiming to qualify for the World Cup,” he said, noting the company’s significant contributions to national development beyond mining.

Ziega did not hide his disappointment with how little Ghana benefits from its mineral wealth. “Ghana is the largest gold producer in Africa, yet we still have children learning under trees, some citizens who can’t afford two square meals a day and some natives who can’t live up to twenty cedis a day. Are we not sick as a country?” he quizzed.

He described the country’s share of revenue from gold mining as “peanuts” and called for a renegotiation of the terms under which mining giants operate in Ghana

He further compared Ghana’s situation to its position as the second-largest cocoa producer in the world, yet still unable to leverage that status to significantly transform its economy “Even with cocoa, where we’re the second largest producer globally, we’ve failed to use it to transform our economy. Why can’t we leverage our resources for national development?” he asked.

Ziega added that he would only find satisfaction in the government’s decision if indeed the refusal to renew Gold Fields’ lease is part of a broader plan to renegotiate the terms for a better national share.
“I would be happy if the reason behind the government rejecting the lease renewal is to renegotiate a fairer percentage deal for Ghana,” he concluded.

By Gifty Bediako Yamoah