Former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo has called for a review of the 1992 Constitution to better address agreements related to the extractive industry in Ghana.

In her recent comments, she argued that current agreements between the state and foreign extractive companies are overly exploitative and fail to benefit the nation.

Now serving on the Council of State, the advisory body to the President, Madam Akuffo questioned why Ghana continues to enter into contracts with extractive companies over its natural resources. She expressed concern that such agreements have left Ghana “exploited.”

In an interview with the media in Accra, the former Chief Justice raised questions about the policy governing the extraction of Ghana’s mineral resources, particularly how the proceeds are shared between the state and foreign investors.

She described the mineral concession agreements between Ghana and foreign companies as being “woefully unfavourable” to the country.

“Why are we still doing it like we are in the days of Guggisberg?” Akuffo queried, referring to the colonial era under British Governor Sir Frederick Guggisberg. Her comments were part of a broader discussion on the issues the Council of State should examine, alongside matters presented to them by the President.

She further questioned the nation’s policy on its natural resources, saying, “The things under our ground which we don’t seed or feed and which belong to us totally, yet when it comes to making use of it, we position ourselves to be exploited.”

Madam Akuffo also highlighted the poor state of mining communities, where valuable resources have been extracted for years, sometimes decades or centuries, with little to no tangible benefits for the residents.

“You wonder, and you end up with really pathetic towns where valuable minerals have been extracted for years, for decades, sometimes centuries, and when you think of the amount of gold or diamond or whatever has been mined all those years and what it has done to the town, you ask yourself what went wrong somewhere,” she said.

Madam Akuffo reiterated the need for a thorough review of the agreements to ensure that Ghana’s extractive industry better serves the interests of its people and the country’s long-term development.