Abutia Traditional Authority rejects mining of lithium in Kalakpa Forest

The Abutia Traditional Authority in the Ho West District of the Volta region has demanded the immediate cessation of any attempts to mine lithium in the Kalakpa Forest and Game Reserve within their jurisdiction.

This call was made during the 2024 Asafotu Easter celebration by Togbega Abutia Kodzo Gidi V, the Paramount Chief of Abutia Traditional Area, who deemed

Read full articlethe proposed mining as illegal, according to the Herald Ghana.

X10 Resources, a mining firm from Kumasi, expressed interest in mining lithium in parts of the reserve, as reported by the Ghanaian Times newspaper on February 29, 2024.

The public was given 21 days to raise objections to this proposal. However, Togbega Abutia Kodzo Gidi V asserted that neither the Minerals Commission nor other stakeholders had consulted with his office or the individual landowners, who are all indigenes of Abutia.

According to the Minerals Commission's announcement, landowners and traditional authorities in the North Tongu District have been consulted regarding the mining plans, as the demarcated areas for mining fall under the North Tongu enclave.

However, Togbega Abutia emphasized that no part of the forest reserve belongs to the people of North Tongu, but only to Adaklu and Abutia.

The areas earmarked for exploration by the mining firm, Agortive and Avetakpo, are farming communities within the forest. Residents of these communities, while not indigenes of Abutia, were permitted by Abutia's forefathers to farm in the forest to protect it against poaching.

Nelson Adom, an opinion leader from Abutia, clarified that the forest has been traditionally owned by Abutia citizens, with demarcations and documentation in place for years.

The community members are adamant about preventing the mining activity, citing that the forest is reserved for tourism and hospitality purposes.

They are prepared to resist the mining, considering legal action if necessary. The Kalakpa Forest Reserve, being the largest natural reserve in the Volta region, is home to various tree and animal species, including rosewood.