Blame Ibrahim Mahama over revocation of his company’s license – Minister

The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon Barbara Oteng Gyasi has said the management of Exton Cubic Group is to be blamed for the revocation of its license to mine at Kyekyewere, Mpasaso and Kyirayaso all in the Ashanti region.

In a new twist to a never ending drama on bauxite exploration in Ghana, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu has declared as invalid and of no effect, a mining lease granted Exton Cubic Ltd.

He had early on approved of the exploration and urged his colleague, the Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah, who had ordered for the seizure of Exton Cubic’s equipment to release them to the company.

After consulting with the Attorney General, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister on Monday September 4, made a u-turn, and in a media briefing described the mining contract issued to Exton Cubic as invalid.

Speaking in an interview with Akwasi Nsiah host of Si Mi So on Kasapa FM, Hon Barbara Gyasi indicated that despite the errors on the part of some officials at the Lands Ministry in issuing the license, the company should have also known better.

“You the one submitting the application knows the process that it travels and the applicant should have also monitored the process and be abreast with what stage the application has reached at any given time and ensure that all the necessary processes are exhausted. If you fail to do this and any relevant officer working on the application bypasses any of the processes and issues you with a final permit and it turns out that it’s invalid, then you have to blame yourself. Exton Cubic have themselves to blame for what has happened. Other applicant must also learn from this and ensure that same does not befall them.”