Don’t Cancel Ibrahim Mahama’s Contract On Political Grounds

The Media Center for Social Justice (MCJ Ghana) has taken note of the latest decision by government to revoke the Bauxite Mining Contract between the Ministry of Mines and Natural Resources and the Exton Cubic Ltd, a company said to be owned by the family of the brother of former President, Ibrahim Mahama.

MCJ Ghana finds the latest twist intriguing because we hold the view that the fact that previous allegations of greed and power influence had been levelled against Mr Ibrahim Mahama does not make him less a Ghanaian, and therefore he deserves to be treated with the dignity every Ghanaian is entitled to.

While we support any attempt to ensure fair play and due diligence, we are equally concerned that such processes are backed by law and we welcome the revocation if the process was devoid of whims, emotions and politics. We therefore demand of government to be transparent on this matter.

Government should, by all means, do the right thing, by in doing so, we call for cool heads to prevail, in the spirit of our collective citizenship, devoid of political expediency, and with circumspect, and to avoid any future judgment debts to the Ghana taxpayer.

MCJ Ghana wishes to put on record that the raging issue involving the company in question has exposed the complexities of some state institutions, in this case the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most of which have become political tools used by political activists to destroy businesses of their opponents, while giving unfair advantages to their political cronies.

This is unfortunate and any attempts at public sector reforms and institutional renewal must address it.

It is also the expectation of MCJ Ghana that the equity test that Mr Ibrahim and his family has been subjected to will be visited on all, irrespective of political affinity. 

Source: James Kofi Annan/ President Challenging Heights Ghana