Audio By Carbonatix
Following Parliament’s historic ratification of the Ewoyaa Lithium Mining Agreement, residents of the affected communities in the Mfantseman Municipality have issued a firm two-month ultimatum for the settlement of all compensation claims.
The approval, granted on Thursday, 19th March 2026, officially hands Barari DV Limited the large-scale commercial lease to tap into Ghana’s "green gold."
While the community expressed relief at the end of a three-year legislative stalemate, the mood remains one of cautious expectation as property owners await financial redress.
For the residents of Ewoyaa and surrounding areas, the legislative victory in Accra is only the first step.
Frank Acquah, Secretary of the Concerned Ewoyaa Lithium Affected People, made it clear that the focus must now shift immediately from policy to payment.
“Now that the lease has been ratified, compensation should be the next priority. The company must fast-track the process so we can be paid as soon as possible—it should not go beyond two months,” Mr Acquah stated in an interview with Citi News.
The community’s anxiety stems from the protracted nature of the project’s approval process, which has left many property owners in a state of uncertainty for nearly three years.
The ratified agreement is notable for its departure from traditional flat-rate royalties.
To ensure the state benefits from market highs, Ghana’s earnings will be governed by a sliding-scale mechanism, where royalty percentages fluctuate in tandem with global lithium prices.
The Member of Parliament for Mfantseman, Dr Prince Arhin, moved quickly to calm nerves within the constituency.
He assured the affected residents that the bureaucratic hurdles that previously stalled the project have been cleared, pledging that compensation will not be caught in a new wave of red tape.
Beyond financial settlements, Dr Arhin urged the local workforce to position themselves for the industrial boom. He encouraged the youth in Ewoyaa to seek out the technical training necessary to secure the high-value jobs expected to emerge once Barari DV Limited begins full-scale operations.
As the two-month clock begins to tick, the eyes of the Central Region remain fixed on Barari DV Limited and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to see if the promised "new era" of lithium mining will begin with a fair deal for the people on the ground.
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