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The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Samuel Abu Jinapor has stated that the principles of honesty, integrity, and transparency have been the bedrock principles of the management of the mining sector by the Akufo Addo administration.
“In whatever we do at the ministry in Ghana, the government is very transparent and acts in accordance with the highest integrity and for me that is absolutely important. This are our guarding principles, transparency and integrity and that is how we can bring confidence into the mining industry in Ghana and we would do just that and that is what we would adhere to,” he said.
Mr. Jinapor said this on the sidelines of the Africa Down Under Mining Conference being held in Perth, Australia. He was speaking in reaction to allegations by Cassius Mining Company, which operates in the Upper East region in the Sydney Herald newspaper that it was going to seek hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation from the government of Ghana because it’s concession had been trespassed on by another mining company, Shaanzi Mining.
Mr. Jinapor described the publication in Sydney Herald as ‘very unfortunate’ and a development that has thrown a negative light on what was being done in the mining sector.
He acknowledged that even though the substantive matters regarding the dispute predates his coming to the ministry, he still had the duty to see to it’s proper settlement.
Giving the background to the dispute, he stated that Cassius Mining and Shaanzi were granted mining licenses some time back. He said that Cassius later claimed that Shaanzi had tresspassed into its concession and taken mineral resources worth some amount of money, and the claim was that it was done in collusion with the government of Ghana and the ministry at the time.
“There’s also been some allegations about some practices by this other company if found to be credible or established would bother on criminality. Shaanzi denies these claims and so does the government of Ghana,” he said.
He noted that attempts were made to resolve these matters at arbitration in Ghana, unsuccessfully. Again the High Court, Bolgatanga on two occasions dismissed the matter and Cassius was now threatening to go to London for arbitration.
“The legal matters are with the Attorney general of Ghana, he’s handling these matters. On my return to Ghana I will engage him extensively about this,” he said.
Mr. Jinapor noted that there are other allegations in the publication which are alarming, such as miners being killed and he has ordered the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission to investigate in site and submit a report to him about the veracity of these claims.
“I must be quick to add that these are just claims, allegations which are not proven or established. The investigation will furnish me with the facts and situation on the ground,” he said.
He noted that he was scheduled to hold a meeting on the matter with senior management of Cassius in Perth, Australia, today, to attempt to understand the issues further. He noted that these matters are not matters to be settled in the press or court of public opinion.
“I struggle to see how the government of Ghana becomes liable for the trespass of one company onto the concession of another company. But that is as it may, and that said I think the prudent thing is to sit around a table with them and at the very least get a preliminary discussion.”
He expressed the wish that any company that expressed the interest to invest in Ghana would seek to resolve disputes amicably through dialogue and negotiation.
“I am hopeful and quite optimistic that we can deploy some tools to be able to resolve whatever issues there may be with Cassius and Shaanzi. I can only employ my best endeavors to do so. Whatever we do in Ghana, and whatever we do at the Ministry and as a government is always very transparent and in accordance with the highest integrity and for me that is absolutely important,” he said.
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