Be grateful to me over equipment seizure - Minister to Mahama

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah says Exton Cubic Group should be grateful to him for impounding their machines at Nyinanhini in the Ashanti region.

The police upon the Minister’s order seized equipment belonging to Engineers and Planners (E&P) owned by Ibrahim Mahama which was subcontracted by Exton Cubic Group to prospect bauxite in the area.

Ibrahim is the brother of the former President John Dramani Mahama.

An incensed Osei Mensah argued that he was not fully briefed by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Peter Amewu about the operations of the company.

But speaking in an exclusive interview with Host of Abusua Nkommo, Kwame Adinkrah, after an Emergency Regional Security Council (REGSEC) Meeting, the Minister said the youth in the area were bent on burning the machines and his intervention saved the situation.

He said his action was enforcing the directive against mining by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo saying there’s no difference between Prospecting and Mining.

The livid Minister said it's unsafe for the company to work in the area now adding that the youth are agitated, fearing that the untoward might happen if they start mining.

Mr Osei-Mensah said he won’t back down on getting documents issued to the company.

Meanwhile, the youth in Nyinanhini wants the government to confiscate the machines belonging to E&P and use to repair deplorable roads in the district.

Abusua Nkommo checks revealed that the machines have been moved under heavy security to Nkawie.