Posted
on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By
William Yaw Owusu
Thursday,
August 24, 2017
Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has dismissed Exton Cubic Group Limited’s claim that it
has environmental permit to mine bauxite in a forest reserve at Nyinahin in the
Ashanti Region.
According to the EPA, the company,
which is owned by former President John Dramani Mahama’s younger brother,
Ibrahim Mahama - with his wife Oona Maxwell, his brother Michael Mahama, as
well as a certain Kweku Pobee as directors - will be acting illegally if it
goes ahead with its activities without recourse to the environmental overseer.
Controversial Lease
Exton Cubic Group Limited was
controversially granted a long lease concession by the Mahama-led National
Democratic Congress (NDC) administration on December 29, 2016 when that administration
had lost the December 7 general elections miserably and was on its way out of
office.
The company moved heavy-duty
machines into the forest at Nyinahin at the beginning of the week with intent to
start exploratory activities but was stopped by both the district and the regional
authorities.
Peter Abum Sarkodie, Executive
Director of the EPA, issued a statement yesterday, saying that the company had
not obtained the required permit to enable them to mine bauxite in the area.
Public Interest
“The
attention of the EPA has been drawn to a situation that has arisen regarding an
attempt by Exton Cubic Group Limited to enter the Nyinahin bauxite deposit area
for the purpose of undertaking mining activities,” the statement indicated, adding,
“As a result of the public interest in the matter, the EPA would like to
clarify the position of Exton Cubic Group Limited’s Environmental permit status
under its mining lease (that is a necessary condition for any mining activity).
“The bottom line is that Exton Cubic Group
Limited has not obtained the required EPA permit under its mining lease and
therefore any attempt to enter the area for mining activity is illegal.”
Unfolding Events
According to the
EPA, Ibrahim’s company applied for three separate Environmental Permits from
the EPA to undertake prospecting of bauxite on its Mprasaso, Kiriyaso and
Kyekyewere concessions in the Ashanti Region covering a total of 346.08 sq km on
29th March, 2016 and the EPA granted the Environmental Permits to Exton
Cubic Group Limited on 7th June, 2016.
“The company, among
other conditions, was to notify the EPA as soon as prospecting activities
commenced and also to submit within three months from the date of issuance of
the Environmental Permits a liability estimate of environmental degradation to
enable the posting of the Reclamation Bond in line with Regulation 23 of the
Environmental Assessment Regulation 1999 (LI 1652).
Exton Cubic Group
Limited unfortunately reneged on all these conditions. The prospecting permits
are therefore no longer valid,” EPA stressed.
The statement said
that Exton Cubic subsequently acquired a Mining Lease on 29th
December, 2016 from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, adding, “This
mining lease requires a new EPA permit which has not been granted by the EPA.”
Documents
The EPA said its discussions
with Exton Cubic Group Limited and its consultants indicated that there were
some documents the company was required to produce in order to support their
application for an EPA permit under the Mining Lease.
Exton Cubic Group
Limited was required to submit to EPA a “No objection” letter from cabinet, completion
and submission of statutory environmental assessment form (EA2); and notification
from the EPA to the company to conduct the Environmental Impact Assessment,
which would have led to a broader public consultation and “public hearing”
within the relevant catchment communities in line with Regulation 17 of the
Environmental Assessment Regulations (LI 1652).
“Failure of the company
to comply with the above stated conditions as at the time of the issuance of
this press release has rendered all environmental permits null and void,” the
statement said, adding “Again, the EPA wishes to state that any mining activity
to be conducted by the Exton Cubic Group Limited within the concession areas,
of which Environmental Permit is sought is not consistent with the
Environmental Assessment Procedures of the EPA, LI1652 and is therefore
illegal.”
Turf War
The controversial bauxite mining concession
granted to Exton Cubic Group Limited appeared to have pitched two ministers in
the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration against each other.
The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon
Osei-Mensah, expressed regret that the Lands and Natural Resources Minister,
John Peter Amewu, was encouraging Ibrahim to move his equipment to the
Nyinahin bauxite site for mining when there is a ban on mining in the
region.
Mr Ibrahim Mahama moved his Engineers and
Planners (E&P) heavy-duty equipment to the site on behalf of Exton Cubic
Group Limited at the beginning of the week, but was prevented by the residents
and the DCE of the area.
The equipment were later confiscated at
Nyinahin and some of the company’s officers allegedly detained.
Later, Exton Cubic accused
Mr. Osei-Mensah and the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Atwima Mponua, Williams Darko, of unlawfully impounding E&P’s vehicles and
detaining its officers.
Regional
Minister
The Ashanti Regional Minister confirmed to the
media that he had indeed given the directive after the DCE had informed him of
the activity on the concession.
“They asked whether I knew anything about it
and I told them I had no knowledge about it and that they should impound the
vehicles until we get authorization from the Minister for Lands and Natural
Resources; and then I called the police to impound the vehicles.
Amewu’s Response
Mr Amewu has confirmed that his outfit granted
Exton Cubic Group Limited entry permit into the Nyinahin bauxite
concession in the Tano Offin Forest Reserve to prospect for bauxite.
“This
project commenced somewhere in 2013. They began the due diligence processes
through which they were granted the prospective lease in 2015. They have the
entry permit from the Forestry Commission and the necessary EPA was done during
the exploration period,” he claimed.
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