Give Exton Cubic concession to mine – Ken Agyapong to Government

NPP Member of Parliament for Assin South and business man, Ken Agyapong has urged government to be magnanimous in allocating a portion of the bauxite concession to embattled company, Exton Cubic Ltd to mine.

The Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu on Monday, ordered the local mining firm to discontinue the prospecting for bauxite in Nyinahin in the Atwima Mponua District in the Ashanti Region.

According to him, the company’s three mining leases are invalid and therefore bars them from operating in the Tano Offin Forest Reserve.

Following the seizure of their mining equipment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said although they applied for a permit to prospect for bauxite in the area, the company failed to comply with the EPA’s regulation rendering their activities illegal.

“…The failure to obtain an Environmental Permit by the company, and also the Operational permit as well as the various statutory infractions leading to the grant of the three mining leases to the company render the mining leases invalid and of no effect. In the circumstances above and in accordance with Section 87 of ACT 703, the three mining leases are hereby revoked.”

But speaking on Adom TV Tuesday, Hon. Ken Agyapong who’s publicly known to have issues with the owner of Exton Cubic ltd, Ibrahim Mahama, a brother of ex President Mahama, said it will be in Ghana interest if Exton Cubic is given part of the mining concession after all the firm has gone through.

“Government should meet them [Exton Cubic] half way because they’ve also invested, we’re all Ghanaians. I think 56.64cubic metres for only one company is also too much. Let’s give some of the concession to Ibrahim and spread the rest among others who have the capacity to mine the bauxite so that the proceeds stay here in Ghana for the country to develop.”