The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) has issued a statement to debunk what it described as palpable false allegations against the daughters of the President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as either associated with a certain company and/or involved in illegal mining popularly known as galamsey.
Over the weekend, Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, had alleged on Good Morning Ghana, a political talk show program on Metro TV that the daughters of the President were neck deep in illegal mining activities.
But, on the account of the facts and documents available to the Ministry, it rather indicates a clear disparity from the false claims as stated by the North Tongu MP.
Below is blow by blow account of the facts and documents as stated by the Ministry to assuage all doubts and the false allegations in that regard.
The facts relating to the said company and its mining operations are as follows:
- Elite Minerals Company Limited, the Company alleged to be associated with the daughters of the President of the Republic and engaged in illegal mining, was incorporated on 25th July, 2008, and issued with a certificate to commence business on 25th July, 2008.
- According to the documents of incorporation submitted to the Minerals Commission, none of the daughters of the President of the Republic, is either a shareholder and/or a director of the Company.
- The Mining Lease held by Elite Minerals Company Limited in the Kwaebibirem Municipality dates back to the year 2012, and does not fall in a Forest Reserve, as alleged by the Hon. Member.
- On 23rd July, 2012, Med Mining Company Limited (“Med Mining”) was granted a Mining Lease covering an area of 37.49sq.km at Dochi-Takyiman in the Kwaebibirem Municipality (then a District), of the Eastern Region (and not the Kwaebibirem Forest) for a term of ten (10) years to expire on 22nd July, 2022.
- Subsequently, Med Mining applied, in accordance with section 14 of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703), to assign its Mining Lease to Elite Minerals Company Limited.
- On 25th November, 2016, the then Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Nii Osah Mills, granted a prior approval, pursuant to section 14 of Act 703, for Med Mining to assign its Mining Lease to Elite Minerals Company Limited.
- The Dochi-Takyiman Mining Lease in the Kwaebibirem Municipality of the Eastern Region was, therefore, first granted to Med Mining in 2012 and, subsequently, assigned to Elite Minerals Company Limited in November, 2016.
- Prior to the expiration of the Lease, Elite Minerals applied for a renewal of the Lease, in accordance with section 44 of Act 703, and same was granted on 22nd March, 2024 for a further term of twelve (12) years to expire on 21st March, 2036.
- For the avoidance of doubt, Elite Minerals Company Limited’s Mining Lease dated 22nd March, 2024 is a renewal of an earlier mining lease dated 23rd July, 2012, and the said Lease does not fall in any Forest Reserve as alleged by Hon. Ablakwa.
- The allegation by the Hon. MP that between 1988 and 2016, only ninety-six (96) licences were issued is, also, totally false.
- The Mining Repository does not include licenses and/or leases that had been issued which had expired, including Med Mining’s License which expired and was renewed in 2024. Indeed, similar false allegation was made by the Fourth Estate which was corrected by the Ministry in its Press Release of 12th September, 2024.
- Again, the allegation by Hon. Ablakwa that Elite Minerals is seeking to acquire “exclusive concession of the Volta Region’s salt” and that the company “would have had gold, lithium and salt in the Volta Region,” is also, totally false.
- The said allegation is borne out of ignorance of the laws governing minerals and mining in the country.
- A “restricted mining lease” is not the same as an “exclusive concession.” By section 111 of the Act 703, a restricted mining lease is “a lease to mine industrial minerals,” such as salt.
- Accordingly, any application for a lease to mine salt will be an application for a “restricted mining lease.” But that does not grant any exclusive right to the holder of the mineral right, as alleged by the Hon. Member.
- Indeed, it is public knowledge that a number of companies are mining salt in the Volta Region, including Seven Seas Salt Limited, which holds the largest salt concession in the Volta Region, granted in the year 2011 over an area measuring approximately 6,004.48 acres, and whose operations have been the subject-matter of a number of questions in Parliament, where the Hon. Member was present.
- While the Ministry welcomes the public interest in the fight against illegal mining, the Ministry continues to implore the Hon. Member and the general public to be factual in their comments.
- The Ministry wishes to assure the people of Ghana of its unwavering commitment to the fight against illegal mining, and doing so with the highest standards of integrity, transparency and candour, in the public interest.
