Former Central Regional Minister Aquinas Tawiah Quansah is angry with government’s decision to revoke the license, describing it as attempt to “cripple the Mahama family” According to him, the decision was a political witch-hunting and a calculated move by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) to “at all cost destroy legitimate” businesses being done by Ibrahim Mahama, a brother of the immediate past President of Ghana.

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources John Peter Amewu on Monday, announced the revocation of the license granted Exton Cubic Limited for exploration at Nyinahin, declaring the license as invalid and of no effect. But Aquinas Tawiah Quansah says the minister goofed on that score.

He suspects the minister was pushed by a higher authority to beat a retreat on his earlier conviction to grant access to Exton Cubic Limited into the forest of Nyinahin to mine.

“Has the Minister not early on approved of the exploration and urged his colleague minister in the Ashanti Region to release equipment owned by Exton Cubic, equipment which had been seized by Simon Osei-Mensah, so what has he seen now? This is a political decision and an agenda by the NPP to cripple John Mahama, thinking that if they don’t close Ibrahim Mahama’s businesses down, he will support his brother’s bid, if John so declares” livid former minister explained to host of Onua Fm morning show Bright Kwesi Asempa.

John Peter Amewu had cited infractions of the mining law in the contract, but said the company has every right under the law to correct all anomalies and reapply.

However, Mr. Aquinas Quansah who is also a former Fisheries Minister alleged that “If it were Chairman Wontumi who found himself in this situation, he would be told to go and correct the wrongs and come back, why can’t same thing be done for Ibrahim Mahama”.

He therefore dared “the government and his assigns… to go and close down the cement plant belonging to Ibrahim Mahama”.

“They can do their best, but they will not succeed; that young man does a genuine business and he is a Ghanaian who happens to give employment to fellow Ghanaians, whatever the NPP is doing today, they must know someone will be in their position tomorrow,” he underscored.