The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is calling for parliamentary scrutiny of the recent move to extend Tullow Oil’s petroleum licences beyond their current expiration date. According to the IEA, any extension of oil licences, particularly the West Cape Three Points and Deepwater Tano blocks must go through Parliament as required by law. The licences are due to expire in 2036 but under a memorandum of understanding, the government, and Tullow Oil have agreed to extend operations until 2040. Barrister and Solicitor Victor Anku-Tsede, speaking at an IEA roundtable, warned that this extension may alter the original agreement in a way that requires fresh approval under Ghana’s Constitution citing amongst others the Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling in the case of Banful and Another v. Attorney General, where the court held that even an informal agreement referred to as a “note verbal” between Ghana and the U.S. required ratification. On this point, let me also draw our attention to the S...