The “Ghana First” philosophy remains the cornerstone of the Resetting Agenda, the governance vision being championed by President John Dramani Mahama. At its stated core are inclusivity, transparency, accountability, patriotism, honesty, fairness and discipline. The agenda represents a deliberate national effort to recalibrate attitudes and values, shift from an affiliate-first government to a citizen-first government, and restore trust in national institutions, local investors, and local entrepreneurs.
This vision aligns with the long-standing aspiration articulated by President Kwame Nkrumah for the creation of a “New Citizen,” and can be interpreted as a moral and civic call to national renewal. For it to carry weight, however, it must be evaluated through policy coherence, fairness, and adherence to constitutional processes, particularly within Ghana’s extractive sector. A compelling test case is the handling of the Nyanahin Bauxite Lease and the treatment of Rocksure International.
The Nyanahin Bauxite Lease
In 2019, the Government of Ghana, through public advertisements in both local and international media, invited investors through an open competitive bidding process for the development of the Nyanahin Bauxite Project. The requirements included establishment of a bauxite mine and processing facilities, development of an alumina refinery to supply VALCO or for export, and extension of railway infrastructure from Dunkwa to Nyanahin to support the project. The investment structure required a partnership with the Ghana Integrated Aluminum Development Corporation (GIADEC), forming a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) known as Ashanti Bauxite Limited, with a 30 percent stake for the state held by GIADEC and a 70 percent stake for the investor.
Out of 47 competing firms, including ALCOA of the United States, a leading global bauxite mining and alumina refinery company, it was Rocksure International, a Ghanaian-owned contract mining company, that emerged as the successful bidder. The company is owned by Mr. Kwasi Osei Ofori, a Ghanaian entrepreneur with investments across multiple sectors. This outcome was widely welcomed, notably by the Asantehene, a vocal champion of Ghanaians owning large-scale mining concessions.
Rocksure International subsequently undertook significant preliminary works, including Mineral Resource Estimation, feasibility studies for the mine, and planning for a refinery solution at Mpassao. Stakeholder engagements were held, notably with the Asantehene. As required under Article 268 of Ghana’s Constitution, the agreement was submitted to Parliament for ratification. However, both the Nyanahin Bauxite Lease and the Ewoyaa Lithium Agreement encountered delays, largely due to controversies surrounding a proposed 10 percent royalty rate.
The Royalty Debate and the Legal Framework
A major point of contention was the proposed 10 percent royalty rate in both agreements. It is important to clarify that the applicable legal framework, the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2015 (Act 900), provides flexibility, allowing royalty rates at or above a 5 percent baseline, with the determined rate subject to negotiation and the global market situation. This framework replaced the earlier rigid structure of a fixed 5 percent under the Minerals and Mining (Amendment) Act, 2014 (Act 794). The 10 percent royalty provision in both the Nyanahin Bauxite Lease and the Ewoyaa Lithium Lease Agreements was therefore not inherently unlawful, but subject to negotiation and parliamentary ratification to become legally and constitutionally binding.
A Tale of Two Leases
Here lies the critical inconsistency. In 2025, the sector minister denied Rocksure International ownership of the Nyanahin Bauxite Lease on the grounds that it had not been ratified by Parliament. Yet in March 2026, the same administration, with alacrity, facilitated the ratification by Parliament of the Ewoyaa Lithium Lease held by Atlantic Lithium, a foreign company, despite it carrying the same outstanding issues of the disputed 10 percent royalty and the same non-ratification status from the previous parliament.
Ghana’s constitutional framework clearly delineates institutional roles: the Executive negotiates and submits agreements, Parliament ratifies or rejects them, and the Judiciary determines legality where disputes arise. The cancellation of the Nyanahin Bauxite Lease was not a declaration made by the Supreme Court after its jurisdiction was invoked. It was made by the Executive, the very arm of government constitutionally charged with negotiating and submitting mining agreements to Parliament. In declaring Rocksure International’s lease void while simultaneously submitting the Ewoyaa Lithium Lease for parliamentary ratification, the sector minister arrogated to himself a constitutional power that does not belong to the Executive.
The argument for fairness and policy consistency is straightforward. Precedents exist of agreements not ratified by one Parliament being reconsidered and approved by subsequent ones. In the first Mahama administration, a contentious agreement was eventually ratified under the Akufo-Addo government. The Ewoyaa Lithium Lease itself, not ratified by the 8th Parliament during the Akufo-Addo era, was ratified by the 9th Parliament under President Mahama. These examples reflect Ghana’s political maturity and the principle that government is a continuous process.
This inconsistency risks undermining investor confidence, weakening the credibility of local content policies, and creating uncertainty within Ghana’s extractive sector at a moment when the administration is simultaneously proclaiming its commitment to local ownership. As of April 18, 2026, the sector minister was publicly championing the reversion of the Damang Mine to Ghanaian ownership. Yet the Nyanahin lease, awarded to a Ghanaian company through an open international competitive process, remains denied on grounds that have generated legitimate legal and policy debate.
The Broader Stakes
President Mahama, at the Kwahu Business Forum on April 4, 2026, confirmed his strong commitment to protecting and securing Ghanaian businesses. That statement was welcome and signals genuine alignment with the Resetting Agenda’s citizen-first philosophy. It now invites a concrete demonstration: the revisiting of the Nyanahin Bauxite Lease matter, with the President directing the sector minister to facilitate the return of the lease to Rocksure International and its submission to Parliament for ratification.
Policy credibility depends on consistency and fairness. The Resetting Agenda will ultimately be judged not by its rhetoric, but by whether its actions align with its stated principles. The Nyanahin case presents the current administration with an opportunity to correct a perceived injustice, affirm Ghana-first principles in practice, and demonstrate the institutional integrity that the Resetting Agenda demands.
Major Mohammed Bogobiri (rtd) writes on governance and the “Better Ghana Agenda Continua” on Modern Ghana. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not represent the position of NewsGhana.
