Accra, August 23, 2017//-A Regional Minister, Mr Simon Osei-Mensah has seized heavy duty equipment belonging to Engineers and Planners, an engineering company in Ghana.
According to him, he will only release the equipment if the company belonging to the CEO of Engineers and Planners, Mr Ibrahim Mahama, brother of Ghana’s former President John Mahama is able to provide him with documents granting the company permission to work at a bauxite concession at Nyinahim, a mining community in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.
The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council as part of its clampdown on illegal mining seized heavy duty equipment being taken to the area with the view of prospecting and mining bauxite.
Leases to mine bauxite
The erstwhile Mahama government, acting through then Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Nii Osah Mills, on December 29, 2016, entered into and granted Exton Cubic Group Limited mining leases to mine bauxite in different concessions for 21 and 18 years respectively.
The company then outsourced the prospecting of the site to Mr Mahama’s company but the Regional Minister prevented the drivers of the vehicles from entering the area.
Speaking to a local radio station on Monday, Mr Osei-Mensah said they seized the vehicles because Engineers and Planners did not have any permit to operate on the concession.
Though the company claimed it had permission from the Minister of Lands and Water Resources, Mr John Peter Amewu and the Forestry Commission, the Minister said he was yet to see documents to that effect.
“I don’t work with verbal communications, I need documents and until then, I will not release the machines,” he stressed.
“I want to get the documents, commit the Lands Minister so that if something happens, he [Amewu] will be blamed,” he added.
Mr Osei-Mensah warned such permission being given to mining companies would affect the fight against illegal mining launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Rebuttal
In a rebuttal, Communications Director of Engineers and Planners, Mr Samuel Genfi expressed shock at the conduct of the Ashanti Regional Minister.
He explained that they have satisfied all requirements backed by law since May 13, 2013 thus Mr Osei-Mensah cannot claim not to know anything about it.
“There is no justifiable cause to detain those machines. The vehicles have been detained without any lawful reason,” he added.
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