Two top government officials are breathing fire down the neck of each other over a misunderstanding in a bauxite deal involving the use of equipment owned by Ibrahim Mahama, brother of former president John Mahama.
Lands Minister, John Peter Amewu and Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei-Mensah have clashed over an indigenous company cleared to mine bauxite in the Tano Offin Forest Reserve.
The Lands Ministry through the Forestry Commission issued a license to Exton Cubic Group Limited to mine bauxite in the region on June 20, 2017. The mining company in turn engaged Engineers and Planners (E&P), a company owned by Mr Mahama, to use its equipment to undertake a prospective service.
But hours after E&P moved its men and logistics to site, the police through the Atwima Mponua District Chief Executive (DCE) impounded its equipment, citing improper documentation.
Mr Osei-Mensah explained to Joy News’ Evans Mensah Monday, he directed the equipment to be seized because he had not been properly briefed about the work of Exton Cubic in the region.
He said he requested for appropriate documentations from Mr Amewu to be sent to him but that has not been done. “When I receive it [document] I will respond to it appropriately,” he said, adding he is not relying on an oral conversation he has had with the Lands Minister on the matter.
The June 20 mining permit letter to Exton Cubic Group Limited was signed by Forestry Commission CEO, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie. It was copied to heads of some key institutions, excluding the Ashanti Regional Minister.
A displeased Osei-Mensah said he will release the equipment after the Lands Minister has provided him documents covering operations of the company. The setback comes at a time Exton Cubic Group has been sued by NPP Brong Ahafo Regional Youth Organiser, Kwame Baffoe, challenging the bauxite concession granted it in late December, 2016.
The firebrand NPP executive popularly known as Abronye DC wants the Supreme Court to declare that the mining lease agreement between the past government and the company required parliamentary ratification under Section 5(4) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
But Exton Cubic Group has said it is legally mandated to engage in bauxite mining in the country.
Communication Officer for Exton Cubic Group, Samuel Gyamfi said as far as August 14, 2013, the company was granted a due diligence permit to engage in exploration.
This was followed with a mining lease permit in December, 2016 and the clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2017, he said.
"We are not engaged in illegal mining activities," he told Evans Mensah, adding they were surprised equipment of E&P were impounded without proper communication.
He said the company has dispatched its lawyers to meet the police in Atwima Mponua to settle all outstanding issues to have the equipment released.
Source: myjoyonline.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
The Elephant is confused
I SAY IN AUTHORITY THAT NANA NYIANHINHENE IS PURE NDC MAN EVERYONE IN NYIANHIN TOWNSHIP KNOWS WHAT AM TALKING ABOUT.HE COLLECTED HUGE SOME OF MONEY FROM IBRAHIM MAHAMA THAT IS WHY HE'S ANGRY WITH THE DCE FOR NOT ALLOWING THE MACHINES TO ENTER THE RESERVED FOREST WE THE YOUTH WILL RESISTS ANY MOVEMENT OF THAT COMPANY TO ENTER THE FOREST, WE ARE FULLY SUPPORT THE REGIONAL MINISTER AND THE DCE FOR PROTECTING OUR RESOURCES, VERY GREEDY KING EVER WITNESS , HE'S SO STRESS SINCE NDC LOST THE ELECTION.
You are fighting and killing galamseyers because they are destroying water and forest and you turn around and give the forest to a foreigner to mine and destroy. Are you not a f00l and a hypocrite. God will judge us all
Massa; Who are this Exton Cubic Group ; this company is a company in which Ibrahim Mahama is involved ; the whole contract is a FRUAD but the sad fact is that some NPP Kriminal elements are underming Nana Addo efforts to clean the mining industry ; NAna Addo should be careful because people like Gabby ; Darko; Nana Badiatuo ; Frda Chief of staff and some relatives of Nana Addo are playing a double game ; they are involved in this Ibrahim Mahama deal ; the question is how come today Mr Amewu who is fighting a crusade against 'galamasey' turns round and condone an order from Nana Addo that all mining should be terminated and why is it that lesser officers signed such concessions without parliament been aware ; Ken Agyepong is CORRECT ; Nana Addo should be careful with his relatives because they will ruin him like they did to Jon Mahama ; it will be a shame if Nana Addo is eventually termed a KROOKED President; the question is NANA ADDO A KROOK AND A MAN WITH CRIMINAL MIND !!!!!!!
The contract was not giving to E&P but Exton Cubic group and they gave E&P a contract to use their equipment to work for them so MR. Mahama has nothing to do with documentation and notification to any minister any where its the mandate of the Exton Cubic group to notify these people but from what am seeing this misunderstanding came about because E&P was giving that contract,if it were any other company this brouhaha wouldn't even happen at all. Elements in this government just hate to hear the name Mahama and that isn't possible cause that name has come to stay in Ghana's history. E&P has equipment that no contractor in the NPP has to under take such project so they should leave E&P alone and concentrate on how to reduce utility prices to make things cool for us. Lets be truthful with ourselves for once and stop being hypocritical with every issue.
DID I HEAR SIR JOHN WAS THE ONE WHO SIGNED THE PERMIT LETTER FOR IBRAHIM MAHAMA'S COMPANY TO START WITH SOMETHING THAT NEEDS PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL?OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
hi ATTENTION TO ALL GHANA PEOPLE , ghana people voted for nana addo to collect all stolen monies, houses and cars for them, , but it seems nana addo cant do that, ghana people were starving under mahama and his executive n,d,c and voted for change but it looks like their now more hungry , poorer, so if nana cant solve the problem he should resign now and let the people take over the country and collect them monies themselves, ( WE SHALL COLLECT ALL THE $50 BILLION DOLLARS LOANS THAT IS STOLEN FROM GHANA FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS,), all monies looted by john mahama and his families and n,d,c executive will be collected by ghana people,that is why we voted nana to come and collect the monies for them,ghana people did not vote for nana addo for them to be poor and suffer, so nana addo must collect the monies now or sign,from ghhana people,
tribalistic goat, the whiteman has been mining in ashanti for years, they even kept the golden stool but since you're inferior to the whiteman you only fight blackmen, gyimeee
WILL NPP GOV. ALLOW THIS FISHY DEAL GO ON? WHO IS MAHAMA GIVIND OVER 50 PERCENT OF GHANAS MINERAL RESOURCES TO HIS BROTHER IBRAHIM.THIS SHODY CONTRACT SHOULD BE ABOLISH ONE TIME DO THE BOLE BOYS WANT TO TAKE ALL GHANAS PROPERTY TO BE THEIR OWN? LIVING GHANAIANS IN STRIKEN POVERTY?NPP STAND UP TO THIS ISSUE. THIS CONTRACT SHOULD BE THROWN AWAY IT HAS NO BACKING OF PARLIAMENT. WHY SHOULD IBRAHIM TAKE GHANAIANS FOR GRANTED.NANA ADDO AND NPP PLEASE STAND UP OR YOU ;LOOSE 2020 ELECTIONS.
is this a story or just to occur space. the regionam minister is right as in a time all mining activities both legal and illegal are been asked to hold on. if he is not properly brif and allow the mining to go on, wont it be a case for others to site him as collecting bribe?, if E&P is legalised or given permit to mine, it must present its documents to the regional minister and once acceptedd, it will be on site to work. that non.sense from gabby at the presidency must stop,he cant be colluding with those guys to signed outdated letters for clearance, any favor goes to him uncle and akyem family and aany disgrace is the end of the akyem people from the presidency of Ghana, they may know more than me but this, i think they must know. check the U.S. presidency, a good will acend the family but a poor performance ends the presidential link. compare the keneddys, ***barred word***, clinton and if you care to read, who will allow a son or daughter or grandchild of trump to come close to the US presidency?, gabby is not doing his uncle any good