“Before undertaking an activity or operation under the mining lease, Exton Cubic shall obtain the necessary approvals and permits as may be required by law from the Forest Commission on Water Resources Commission and the Environment Agency or any other regulatory body,” a statement from the Minerals Commission said.

[contextly_sidebar id=”SIXksM1ZXY56SUYKlr1BlxL4ZCp0qimK”]“The mining lease is subject to ratification by Parliament in accordance with Article 26811, the Constitution and Section 5(4) of Act 7013. Upon execution of this mining lease, the company shall submit a certified true copy of the mining lease to the Minister to be laid before Parliament for ratification,” the statement added.

Though the Exton Cubic applied for a permit to undertake the prospecting of bauxite in the area; it failed to comply with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations rendering the permits null and void.

The Commission further indicated that the validity of Exton Cubic’s forestry permit is strictly contingent upon its fulfillment of “all statutory regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Resources Commission (WRC), and the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission pertaining to legitimate mining operations in a forest reserve.”

The order follows claims by the EPA that Exton Cubic Group Limited’s current operations in the Nyinahin bauxite concession are illegal.

The Commission also asked Exton Cubic to halt operations at the bauxite concession until it obtains permit from regulatory bodies and meets other requirements.

The seizure of mining equipment belonging to Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners (E&P), which was undertaking some preparatory work in the forest for Exton Cubic, culminated in the mining company accusing the Ashanti Regional Minister of unlawfully impounding vehicles belonging to Engineers and Planners and detaining its officers.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Peter Amewu, had earlier tried to clarify the situation by confirming that his Ministry granted Exton Cubic an entry permit into the Nyinahin bauxite concession.

But the EPA in a statement said, “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 is illegal.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post Obtain permit from EPA, others – Exton Cubic ordered  appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A statement from the Commission directed the company to “stop any attempt of entering the concession to undertake any mining operation.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”o5woULxqBtph80DM7i01aTTpBAQ8pTKz”]It said Exton Cubic shall obtain the “necessary approvals and permits as may be required by law from the Forest Commission on Water Resources Commission and the Environment Agency or any other regulatory body” before “undertaking an activity or operation under the mining lease.”

The order follows claims by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that Exton Cubic Group Limited’s current operations in the Nyinahin bauxite concession are illegal.

Though the Exton Cubic applied for a permit to undertake the prospecting of bauxite in the area; it failed to comply with EPA regulations rendering the permits null and void.

The Commission further indicated that the validity of Exton Cubic’s forestry permit is strictly contingent upon its fulfillment of “all statutory regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Water Resources Commission (WRC), and the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission pertaining to legitimate mining operations in a forest reserve.”

“The mining lease is subject to ratification by Parliament in accordance with Article 26811, the Constitution and Section 5(4) of Act 7013. Upon execution of this mining lease, the company shall submit a certified true copy of the mining lease to the Minister to be laid before Parliament for ratification.”

The seizure of mining equipment belonging to Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners (E&P), which was undertaking some preparatory work in the forest for Exton Cubic, culminated in the mining company accusing the Ashanti Regional Minister of unlawfully impounding vehicles belonging to Engineers and Planners  and detaining its officers.

The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Peter Amewu, had earlier tried to clarify the situation by confirming that his Ministry granted Exton Cubic an entry permit into the Nyinahin bauxite concession.

But the EPA in a statement said, “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 is illegal.”

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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Halt operations at Nyinahin bauxite concession – Exton Cubic ordered appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mr. Boako made the revelation while responding to former Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Inusah Fuseini’s caution against government’s move.

[contextly_sidebar id=”xg5S1xBiWC8yHmaACBimL3xS64ZNA7qk”]Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Boako said, “I want to ask the former Minister which part of the concession did they sell to the brother of the former President…? They sold 58 percent on 29th December 2016 when they were leaving office. The NDC government sold 58 percent of our bauxite concession to the former President’s brother. The one they sold to him, was it possible to mine or not. They should stop this argument.”

Mr. Inusah Fuseini had warned that the potential mining of Bauxite could see the Atiwa forest reserve in Kyebi and other natural resources in specific areas compromised.

But Mr. Boako in a rebuttal assured that government with the help of the Minerals Commission will not flout the rules as far as mining of Bauxite is concerned.

“We are in government. We know the concession that is viable and ready to be mined and we will go for that. If there is an area that we are not suppose to mine, we will not flout that rule. The Minerals Commission knows all the concessions in Ghana that have bauxite so if clearly there is a particular concession that is not possible to mine, the Minerals Commission will make that available to government and we will not be the first government to overstep the laws of the country to do something that is illegal.

“As far as we are concerned, we are talking about bauxite deposits at Kyebi… and the understanding we have from the Minerals Commission is that all of them are possible to mine.”

Chinese facility

The offer from the Chinese government was made during the Vice President’s five-day official visit to the country, at the invitation of the Chinese government.

It is the first by a high level government official since the New Patriotic Party took office in January 2017.

Dr. Bawumia led a delegation of Ministers and government officials to the Asian country in a quest to deepen diplomatic and economic ties, as well as create opportunities for Ghanaian businesses to form partnerships with their Chinese counterparts.
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By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @EfeAnsah

The post NDC sold 58% of bauxite concession to Ibrahim Mahama – Gideon Boako appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.