The Exton Cubic threatened to use available legal means to overturn government’s revocation of its license, but Mr. Amewu maintains the mining company’s processes in acquiring the lease were questionable.

[contextly_sidebar id=”fcMt6JZq0s9l8ho2MzevIRk4KljYXgQR”]”The processes leading to the grant of the license were not quite clear and were not transparent, very opaque. So it called for a lot of questions. We believe that if the processes had taken time and the duration for the various permits were within the framework, this issue wouldn’t have come out.”

“There are processes and durations that one needs to pass through. If for some reason, one has to go beyond those processes, that will not be an acceptable permit at all. We want to do it within the regulated format,” the Minister said.

Mr. Amewu was speaking during a meeting with mining investors as part of the African Downunder Conference in Australia, where he also charged mining investors to comply with the rules and regulations of the industry.

Exton’s complaints

Exton Cubic Group, in a letter addressed to the Minister of Lands and Natural Resource, said the revocation of their exploration permit would deter private investors from creating jobs in Ghana.

The company said Mr. Amewu disrespected the sanctity of signed agreements and exhibited arbitrary and a gross abuse of executive power when he revoked the contract.

Mr. Amewu, last week, announced that Exton Cubic had not met all the legal requirements to permit the company to prospect for bauxite in the Tano-Offin Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region, thus rendering their three mining leases invalid.

Earth moving equipment and vehicles belonging to Exton Cubic’s sub-contractor, Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners (E&P), had earlier been impounded at Nyinahin, the town where the forest reserve is located.

This was on the orders of the Ashanti Regional Minister following suspicions the mining company was operating illegally.

At the time, Mr. Amewu, came out to say that his Ministry had granted Exton Cubic Group Limited an entry permit into the Nyinahin bauxite concession.

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By: Kojo Agyeman/Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The company owned by brother of former President John Mahama, Ibrahim Mahama had been engaged by a mining firm, Exton Cubic Group to help in prospecting bauxite in the Tano-Offin Forest Reserve.

Even before the trucks could get to the Nyinahin, the town where the forest reserve is, the DCE according to the Public Relations Officer of Exton Cubic, Sammy Gyamfi, crossed the trucks with his vehicle and confiscated the trucks and arrested the drivers.

Mr. Gyamfi while speaking Citi FM’s news analysis programme over the weekend said although the drivers have been granted bail, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah has refused to release the trucks claiming the machines were going to perpetuate an illegality.

But Exton Cubic insists that they have the necessary permits to prospect bauxite in the forest reserve despite a contrary statement by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Mr. Gyamfi also explained that the trucks were not arrested in the forest reserve but were on their way to donate a generator to the hospital in the town following a request by the chief.

Click below for Mr. Gyamfi’s account of how Ibrahim Mahama’s trucks were confiscated:

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bauxite deal: How Ibrahim Mahama’s trucks were seized [Audio] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The losses started on August 20, when vehicles belonging to its sub-contractor, Ibrahim Mahama’s Engineers and Planners (E&P), were impounded in the Nyinahin township on orders of the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, according to the company.

[contextly_sidebar id=”85qvMk1dOEkjFrFHsZsxPXACDM7px6bM”]At a press conference on Thursday, the company’s Public Relations Officer, Samuel Gyamfi, reiterated the company’s assertion that the impounding and detaining of its officers was unlawful.

He gave a further indication that the issue could culminate in some form of legal action.

“The company is losing over $40,000 a day due to this unlawful act and as we have told you, we are going through the legal process with our lawyers and very soon, the authorities concerned will be written to and we will make our position clear to them.”

Mr. Gyamfi maintained that “… what they have done to us is not fair. What they have done to us is not allowed or permitted by law and expect that the right things will be done.”

“We feel that what was done was not proper… we have not breached any law. We have the right to enter the Tano Offin Forrest Reserve for prospecting. We have a prospecting license dated 24^th December 2015. We have a forest entry permit for the prospecting license. We have an operating license for the prospecting license. We have an environmental permit for the prospecting license.”

Exton Cubic was alleged to have been operating in the area illegally, despite the company’s claims to the contrary, which were backed up by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.

The Minister, Peter Amewu said his Ministry granted Exton Cubic entry permit into the Nyinahin bauxite concession to prospect for Bauxite.

The Ashanti Regional Minister is, however, waiting on official documentation from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources indicating that the Exton Cubic has been granted permits for its operations before releasing vehicles.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Equipment seizure costing us $40,000 daily – Exton Cubic appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

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.

[contextly_sidebar id=”gEAJAi2vj0luplj8jExztu7Gl6kgg6nU”]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 E&P’s vehicles 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 clarifying Exton Cubic’s standing 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.”

Background of Exton Cubic’s operations

According to the EPA, on March 29, 2016, Exton Cubic applied for three separate Environmental Permits from the EPA to undertake the prospecting of bauxite on its Mprasaso, Kiriyaso, and Kyekyewere concessions in the Ashanti region covering a total of 346.08 km sq.

The EPA granted the Environmental Permits to Exton Cubic June 7, 2016, and 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 Permit 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).”

But Exton Cubic “unfortunately reneged on all these conditions,” the EPA revealed. Thus, the prospecting permits are therefore “no longer valid,” the EPA added.

Subsequently, the mining company acquired a Mining Lease on December 26, 2016 from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, which requires a new EPA permit but “has not been granted by the EPA.”

The EPA noted that documents pertaining to a “No objection” letter from Cabinet, an environmental assessment, among others, are required to support Exton Cubic’s application for an EPA permit under its Mining lease.

“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, 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 being sought is not consistent with the Environmental Assessment Procedures of the EPA, LI1652 and is therefore illegal.”

Find below the fill EPA statement

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. 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.

On 29th March 2016, Exton Cubic Group Limited 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 km sq. 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 Permit 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. Exton Cubic Group Limited subsequently acquired a Mining Lease on 29th December 2016 from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, This mining lease requires a new EPA permit which has not been granted by the EPA. The EPA’s discussions with the company and its consultants indicated that the following documents are required to support their application for in EPA permit under its Mining lease:

• Submission to EPA of 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 hearings’ within the relevant catchment communities in line with Regulation 17 of the Environmental Assessment regulations, 1999 (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, 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 being sought is not consistent with the Environmental Assessment Procedures of the EPA, LI1652 and is therefore illegal.

SIGNED

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Nyinahin: Exton Cubic’s operations illegal – EPA appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.