Revocation Exton Cubic mining lease, a witch-hunt - Group

A group calling itself Advocates for Social Intervention Ghana (ASIG) has waded into the controversy over the revocation of the mining lease of Exton Cubic Limited, labelling it as witch-hunt.

It said the excuse given by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister that the company failed to obtain environmental permit and operational permit for exploration was not only lame and tasteless but strange and unconvincing.

This was contained in a press statement signed by its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Emmanuel Arthur, in Kumasi.

It said what was happening was not any different from what happened under the previous political administration, where attempt was made to collapse Tobinco Pharmaceuticals.

It also cited the arrest of Mr. Kwabena Kesse, CEO of Kessben Group of Companies on the trump up charge of money laundering.

ASIG added that it had every reason to believe that Exotic Cubic was targeted because the company was connected to Mr. Ibrahim Mahama, a blood relation of former President John Dramani Mahama.

It indicated that moving equipment by mining companies to mining concessions, before obtaining environmental permit had been a normal practice. There was not anything new.

The group pointed out that what companies granted a mining lease could not do was to begin actual exploration or mining without environmental and operational permits.

The statement said it found it deeply troubling the repeat of past political mistakes and missteps, adding that, the pettiness simply must end.

It should not be lost on anybody the thousands of jobs that Exton Cubic would have created, the group stated.