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I trembled several times when I heard the NDC 2020 standard bearer, former President Mahama, promise at the launch of the 2020 NDC Manifesto that in the event of a return to the presidency in 2021, all licenses revoked mines would be reinstated.
In fact, what was odd about this statement was that the only company, whose mining licenses had been rightly revoked by the Supreme Court of Ghana, was the Exton Cubic.
Therefore, observers may be correct in inferring that former President Mahama was immersed in a range of emotions about the Supreme Court’s rational ruling that the granting of “ 3 mining leases in favor of ‘Exton Cubic, was in violation of the Constitution and section 12 of the Minerals and Mines Act, Act 703 ”.
At the time, some of us, in fact, felt it was unfair for Flagbearer Mahama to somewhat misleadingly assume that it was instead Akufo-Addo, who, without resorting to the law, had arbitrarily barred Exton Cubic from mine bauxite from Ghana.
If you may remember, somewhere in 2017, the Vice President’s (Dr Bawumia) Economic Advisor Dr Gideon Boako revealed that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has no moral rights warning the NPP administration against exploiting Ghana’s natural resources, especially bauxite through its partnership with China, since the Mahama administration capriciously ceded 58% of Ghana’s bauxite concession to Exton Cubic (see: NDC has sold 58% of the bauxite concession to Ibrahim Mahama – Gideon Boako; citifmonline.com, 06/29/2017).
In fact, most revealing of the many scandals that arose during Mahama’s administration was the 30-year bauxite mining lease that was issued by the Ghana Minerals Commission to Exton Cubic on the 29th.e December 2016, just over a week for his brother’s government to step down. How weird?
Unsurprisingly, therefore, many discerning Ghanaians have troubled your souls with curses and condemnations over the deal. Well-meaning Ghanaians have rightly argued that such an enterprise is nepotistic and therefore should not and could not be allowed to proceed without contesting its authenticity.
Consequently, the permit of the Exton Cubic to undertake prospecting work in the Nyinahini Forest Reserve was contested somewhere in August 2017 by the then Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. John-Peter Amewu. .
If you recall correctly, Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah seized equipment belonging to Exton Cubic as Exton Cubic was said to have been happily prospecting without valid documentation at the Nyinahini bauxite concession.
Subsequently, Exton Cubic’s multibillion cedi bauxite concession was revoked in September 2017 after former Natural Resources Minister John Peter Amewu vehemently contested that the contract with Exton Cubic was invalid.
Mr Amewu poignantly argued that Exton Cubic did not have the necessary documentation to undertake mining (dailyguideafrica.com, 11/24/2017). ”
Suffice it to point out that at the time, the Exton Cubic hierarchy strongly argued that the revocation of licenses and confiscation of mining equipment was unfair because Exton Cubic was in possession of three required permits.
As expected, Exton Cubic management took the case to the High Court of Ghana and on February 8, 2018, the High Court ruled that the former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, did not had no power. to revoke the mining licenses granted to Exton Cubic to prospect for bauxite.
Subsequently, the Attorney General, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, submitted an ex parte petition to the Apex Court, vehemently claiming that “the lower court’s decision” undermines an efficient administration of justice. ”
The judges of the Supreme Court of Ghana nevertheless clarified that their verdict was based on the fact that the Exton Cubic had knowingly or unknowingly failed to comply with the mandatory provisions of the Minerals and Mines Act and section 268 of the Constitution of Ghana.
The eminent Supreme Court judges, however, argued that the granting of “3 mining leases in favor of Exton Cubic was contrary to the Constitution and to Article 12 of Law 703 on Minerals and Mines”.
We must, however, not lose sight of the fact that “any mineral in its natural state in, under or on the lands of Ghana, rivers, streams, streams throughout the country, the exclusive economic zone and an area covered by the territorial sea or continental shelf is the property of the Republic and vests in the President in trust for the people of Ghana ”(Minerals Act 2006).
Either way, we cannot and must not allow individuals to recklessly wander the corridors of power and steal Ghana’s scarce resources to the detriment of the poor and disadvantaged Ghanaians.
Given the circumstances, I would seriously venture to point out that in order for our system of governance to be fair and equitable, all political appointments and offers of contracts must be based on merit, but not on vague coloring, nepotism and lewdness. cronyism.
Credit must therefore be given to the more than six million Ghanaians warned for voting rightly to protect Ghana’s bauxite in the 2020 general election.
K. Badu, United Kingdom.
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