Ibrahim Mahama: A Perfect Scapegoat!

INTRODUCTION
The issue of Ibrahim Mahama and Exton Cubic should not have been an issue of contention, however, it has been an issue of contention because of the cheap political expediency of some vindictive political apparatchiks who 'hear no evil', 'see no evil' and 'speak no evil' by hiding behind protocol and a ban on mining instead of a ban on illegal mining (Galamsey).

THE GENESIS
The concession that was awarded to Exton Cubic was not done through hasty and knee jerk approach as being told by some people in government. In fact an official from the Flagstaff House alleged to the media that John Mahama awarded the Nyinahin Bauxite Concession to his brother in December, 2016.

Yet, the truth is, the process of acquiring the concession by Exton Cubic started in 2013. On record, some aspects of the processes were completed in 2013, some in 2014, some in 2015 and in fact, the final process was completed in December, 2016.

The concession was not awarded to Ibrahim Mahama. Exton Cubic owned the contract and Ibrahim Mahama's Engineers and Planners is just a subcontractor of Exton Cubic.

Therefore, the narrative that John Mahama contrivedly and surreptitiously awarded the mining concession to his brother (Ibrahim Mahama) on the eve of his departure from office is not only a petty fabrication to score a cheap political point, but also a frivolous allegation that is sought to subject the Business Tycoon to international obloquy and it must be treated with all the contempts it deserves.

The question you must be asking is that, why were his mining machines seized?

The Ashante Regional Minister seized the machines under the certificate of 'ban on mining and no documentation' even when he had admitted in public statements that the Sector minister (Mr Peter Amewu) had told him that Exton Cubic had fulfilled all the statutory requirements. The same Ashante regional minister then said he could not take the words of his colleague minister seriously. Now what the Ashante regional minister is saying is that, the Sector minister, Mr Peter Amewu who has been charged with the responsibilities of protecting our natural resources by President Nana Akuffo Addo cannot be trusted. Is this picture correct? Does this not also mean that President Nana Addo cannot be trusted? Let the story continue in your mind.

THE TWISTS AND TURNS
It is interesting to know that the machines were not on the site yet. They had not started mining yet, but the machines were seized. In fact, they were seized in the Nyinahin township and not on site.

The Ashante regional minister confessed that the machines owned by E and P were confiscated because of the ban on mining.

The last time I checked and I stand to be corrected, there was/is no general ban on mining. The ban is on small scale/illegal mining (Galamsey). Yet, the misguided Ashante regional minister is hiding behind the ban on small scale mining to confiscate the equipment belonging to E and P. Is the Ashante regional minister telling us that the Mining Concession at Nyinahin a Galamsey? I leave this to your conjecture!

Fascinatingly, the same Mr Peter Amewu who admitted on tv that Exton Cubic had necessitated all the statutory requirements wrote a letter to the Exton Cubic managers on Monday, 4th September, informing them of a revoke in the contract agreement, quoting an act of parliament that places ban on only small scale mining (Galamsey) and not general mining. The managers of Exton Cubic detected the irregularities and inconsistencies in the letter because they were not in violation of any law.

Then the same Monday, 4th September, the same Sector minister (Mr Amewu) authored another letter to Exton Cubic, telling them that the second letter supercedes the first one and that they should act accordingly.

One may ask what has informed the revoke in the concession agreement with the Exton Cubic. The fact is, the EPA issued a public statement and admitted that it had granted all the necessary permit to Exton Cubic. However, the EPA added that after granting them (Exton Cubic) the permit, there were some follow ups that needed to be done by Exton Cubic and which they did not do.

You see, I have always repeated my old mantra that I am not a lawyer and I will never pretend to be one. However, some basic marxims in law do not elude me. So I am saying that in law, when you sign an agreement and the other party does not hold onto the end of the agreement, the next step is to revoke the agreement. If for nothing at all, this is common sense!

You don't wait for them to park their machines enroute to the site and acquire all other necessary documents for a regional minister to confiscate those machines before you come out of your hiding holes to say that you have revoked the permit you granted to them. Yet, this is happening in Nkrumah's Ghana.

If this is not a witchhunt spree, I beg for a better definition for witchhunt.

CONCLUSION
Why was the Ashante regional minister so distrustful of the Sector minister?

Why did the Ashante regional minister use the ban on Galamsey to confiscate the equipment of E and P when Exton Cubic was not engaging in Galamsey?

Why did the Sector Minister (Mr Amewu) say in public that Exton Cubic had all necessary documents and only to circumnavigate his mandibles 360 degrees and said the opposite on Monday?

Why did the EPA not revoke the permit right after Exton Cubic failed the follow up aspect and waited up until Monday?

Why were the machines seized in town and not on site where they had not done any mining? I leave all the above questions to your own conjecture.

In the final analysis, suffice it to say that government is engaging in irresponsible rendition of coercive and incumbency powers.