Angry residents from Nyinahin mostly youth in the the Atwima Mponua District of the Ashanti Region have prevented Engineers and Planners from depositing mining equipment at a bauxite concession in the area.
Heavy duty equipments were being taken to the area with the view of prospecting and mining bauxite but the residents prevented the drivers of the vehicles belonging to businessman and brother of former President John Dramani Mahama from entering the area.
This reportedly resulted in a standoff between the truck drivers and angry youth who maintained their stance the vehicles will not be allowed until they provide documentation to that effect.
It took the timely intervention of armed police to restore calm as there was near clashes between the aggrieved residents and the drivers of the four (4) heavy tracks with inscription of Engineers and Planners.
It would be recalled that Firebrand Brong-Ahafo Regional Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe aka Abronye DC, has filed a suit against Mr Ibrahim Mahama over the bauxite concession granted to him a few days to the exit of his brother from power.
Ibrahim, who is linked to Exton Cubic Group Limited, is to face Abronye at the Supreme Court over the huge bauxite mining lease granted the firm for 21 and 18 years respectively.
He is challenging the legitimacy of the concession.
The suit also cited the Attorney General as respondent and Abronye wants the Supreme Court to declare that the mining lease agreement between the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and Exton Cubic Group Limited required parliamentary ratification under Section 5 (4) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
The NDC government, acting through then Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Nii Osah Mills, on December 29, 2016, entered into and granted Exton Cubic Group Limited mining leases to mine bauxite in different concessions for 21 and 18 years respectively.
Abronye wants an order setting aside the mining lease agreement because they violate Section 5 (4) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).
Abronye is also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining Exton Cubic Group Limited and its assigns from prospecting, exploiting or mining bauxite in Ghana pursuant to the mining lease agreements being ratified by parliament.
In his statement of claim prepared in Sunyani, Abronye said he was bringing the action pursuant to Articles 2 (1) (b) and 130 (1) of the 1992 Constitution and was invoking the jurisdiction of the highest court for interpretation.
According to the plaintiff, Exton Cubic Group Limited has started “mining/exploiting bauxite in Nyinahini pursuant to the purported mining lease agreements.”
He averred, “the plaintiff’s case is that the activities of the 2nd defendant (Exton Cubic Group Limited) are illegal as same are against the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).”
According to Abronye, he would argue in court that the power of the minister responsible for mines to grant mining rights is governed by Section of Act 703, saying “What is germane to the plaintiff’s case is Section 5 (4) of Act 703.
“The language of Section 5 (4) of Act 703 is clear, plain and calls for no conflicting interpretations. The plain and unmistakable import of the provision is that any contract that involves the grant of a mining right for the exploitation of mineral in Ghana is subject to ratification by parliament.”
He averred that “there is a plethora of cases in which the Supreme Court has authoritatively held that any transaction that requires parliamentary ratification is null and void and creates no rights, unless it has been ratified by Parliament.
“It is in the interest of the public that mining agreements are subjected to parliamentary approval and ratification. Any mining agreement purportedly entered into without parliamentary approval or ratification is null and void.”
He pointed out that “the overall kernel of the plaintiff’s case is that the two impugned mining agreements were entered into in violation of the express provisions of Section 5 (4) of Act 703 as same were not laid before parliament for approval and ratification.”
There is no indication that Exton Cubic Group Limited has been served with the processes of the Supreme Court.
Source: ghanaweb.com
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I am of the view that the people of Nyinahin should insist that the concessions alleged to be granted to jon Mahama's brother be backed by legal documents and also have the approval of the contract by parliament.The future of the youth of our noble town will partly emerge from how they stand firm in respect of this bax mining and this must be done legally.
This minister is defending that illegal mining action because of th ewe people involved in the company! I urge my people in Nyinahin to resist this day robbery by mahama and his corrupt family companies! They could go to the volta and northern regions and mine there, but not on our land, period!
He should mine bauxite in Bole Bamboi. p3p3nin Nkwasssshia
Carpentar (Volta man) and Watchman/shepherd (northerner) join arms to exploit Ashanti resources. And you think the Ashanti regional minister will sit down. Ur modaaaa.
If you talk about jobs, then ***barred word*** is also a job for somebody. The right must be done simple.
Please don't try to read any meaning into it. I do not want to dwell so much on the fact that Mahama is a brother of the former President Mahama, but that he can convincingly answer the question-did he ligally acquire the consension as stipulated per laws quoted by Abronye? period! If not then Abronye has a case.
Ibrahim for Nyinahin bauxite .... GOOD Appenteng for Sango Lagoon Salt........BAD By Kofi Awoonor and the TSIKATAS. AKANS should resist at all cost.
@Ernest ;Massa; this is not a question of NPP or NDC or providing job opoortunities ; the fact is that GHana is a democratic state with democracy as the proxy of the law besides we should do things according to law or we shall still leave in this banana state in which few families swill appotion Ghana's wealth to their families and we as Ghanaians cannot do FOOKOOOOOOO !!!!!! ;how on earth can Jon Mahama sign such contract for over 20 years in the dying days of his government by not sending the contract to parliament for approval because if we want to practice democracy and not stealing in Ghana for relatives then we must learn to obey the law ; how can such an asset be just given to Ibrahim Mahama under dubious circumtances ; we saw the same with Woyome in which GHC 51 million was paid to this ewe KROOK without the consent od parliament ; we have another case in which the NDC signs a toll contract onm the blind side of Ghanaians ; this contract is dubious and must be terminated ASAP!!!!!!!; why did Jon Mahama and the NDC sign so many contracts just before they exited power ; they signed such dubious contracts to put Nana in trouble and to generate judgement debts for the tax payer to pay .
NPP ACTIVISTS CHOOSING POLITICS OVER JOBS?HE WILL EMPLOY BOTH NPP AND NDC PEOPLE.THE CHINESE WILL BRING THEIR CHINESE WORKERS.
We're citizens and not spectators