General News of Tuesday, 5 September 2017
Source: peacefmonline.com
2017-09-05
Murtala Mohammed, Former Member of Parliament for Nantong
A former Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry under the past Mahama led government, Murtala Mohammed is calling on the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu to resign from his position.
He claims the Minister has shown some level of ‘incompetency’ with the handling of Exton Cubic Group saga over the weeks.
According to him, Mr. John Peter Amewu’s posture on the issue is “embarrassing this government” and therefore must relinquish his office for a proficient person to take over.
In a new twist the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu has affirmed invalid and of no effect, a mining lease granted Exton Cubic Group Limited at Nyinahin in the Ashanti Region.
Earlier, he approved of the exploration and urged his colleague, the Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei-Mensah, who had ordered for the seizure of Exton Cubic’s equipment to release them to the company.
After consulting with the Attorney General, the Lands and Natural Resources Minister on Monday September 4, made a shocking volte-face – and in a media briefing described the mining contract issued to Exton Cubic Group as invalid.
“The failure to obtain environmental and operational permits, as well as the various statutory infractions, leading to the purported grant of the three mining leases to the company renders the purported leases invalid and of no effect.
“In the circumstance and in accordance with Section 87 of Act 703, the three mining leases are hereby revoked,” Mr Amewu said at a press conference in Accra.
But Murtala Mohammed on NEAT FM’s morning show ‘Ghana Montie’ described the whole saga as “shameless” and questioned the Minister’s credibility.
“What is he talking about? It’s so embarrassing and shameful,” he said.
The former Member of Parliament for the Nantong constituency in the Northern Region however noted that “do you know we are likely to pay judgment debt? I have listened to Exton Cubic and they have petitioned the Attorney General.”
“So what NPP is doing, must we pay them back when we come to power? We don’t build a nation that way. We don’t treat business people that way. This entire government is in a mess,” he told sit-in host Mark Jerry.
Exton Cubic Group has challenged Lands and Natural Resources Minister John Peter Amewu’s decision to revoke its mining leases Monday.
Communications Director for the company, Samuel Gyamfi said the Lands Minister has no basis to do what he did, as such the company will take steps for legal redress.
