Azumah Resources and Engineers & Planners impasse: A call from the Minister

By: Manasseh Azure Awuni

A while ago, I made a post on the legal tussle between Azumah Resources Ghana Limited and Engineers & Planners and the seven-day ultimatum given by the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources for the two companies to resolve their impasse or risk a decision from the state.

The Minister, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, called me after reading the post. He gave some background that was not contained in his statement, and in the spirit of fairness, I wish to put that out as well.

According to the Minister, Azumah Resources had approached him to intervene in the impasse. An initial engagement with the parties showed that both Azumah Resources and Engineers & Planners were amenable to resolving the issue out of court.

He has letters to that effect, he told me. The current escalation seems to be a result of the announcement of the funding arrangement by Engineers & Planners.

The Minister also said the state has a 10% stake in the mines and is an interested party.

He, however, agreed with me that his intervention could be tricky, considering the fact that one of the parties is a company owned by the president’s brother and a decision that goes his way might raise questions about the intent of the state’s intervention.

The minister said he is not on the side of either party.

In my view, however, since the case is already in court, the legal process should be exhausted because any decision taken by the minister would still end up in court if either party is aggrieved.

Source: Elvisaokyenews.net