Lawyer Oppong Chides Gov’t’s Hasty Shutdown Of Manganese Company

Minister of Lands and Natural Resources order of the Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) to shut down only to direct it to resume operations days after was hasty, a private legal practitioner Yaw Oppong has said.

According to him, the decision is among the few recent examples that show too many rushed decisions are being made by the government.

Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday, Yaw Oppong said such happenings is embarrassing and must be checked.

“I think there are becoming too many examples of inordinate haste to intervene in the affairs of companies. Sometimes the embarrassment may last for a very long time. If the Minister had held his hand for even a few days, invited these people to be given a hearing, let them bring all their documentations [it would have been better],” he said.

The Minister for Lands and National Resources, Kwaku Asomah Cheremeh, last week ordered the company to shut down over alleged non-payment of taxes and price manipulations between 2010 to 2017.

But after a meeting between the interested parties in the matter on Friday, the government decided to allow the company to operate again.

The Finance Manager of GMC, Emmanuel Appiah Kubi in an interview with Citi News also suggested that the government’s decision was hasty.

I believe that he saw that the argument we put up was reasonable so he asked us to resume work while they look at the matter. I think it is in the best interest of Ghana,” he said.

Yaw Oppong said the decision of the Minister could have serious legal implications as the action could sue the government for the damage to its reputation and financial cost.

He said that the Minister could have rather revoked the license of the company which was permitted by law.

“If we had waited a bit, even after receiving the joint- committee audit report, you send it to them [GMC] for their comment to be incorporated in the report and then you can even take a decision on it. These things don't speak well of those who are leading us. They should just sometimes hold their hand, let some dust settle and you will see your way clear, with that one when you take a decision, it is fair,” Yaw Oppong added.

---citinewsroom