The immediate past Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh Esq. has refuted claims of cancelling and taking away a mining license belonging to the former Board Chairman of Precious Minerals and Marketing Company (PMMC) and the Eastern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Kingston Okomeng Kissi against him, saying it is untrue, politically motivated effort to demonize his tenure in office as the Minister at the time he is not in office.
The former Minister, who disclosed this in a press release, explained that there was never a cancellation or take away of a mining license, as being touted by the Eastern Regional Chairman.
‘I would want to state emphatically that I never cancelled nor took away Mr. Kissi’s license as he claims.
‘We met at the Office of the Chief of Staff ONCE to discuss the issue and then, I tasked the Minerals Commission to work on it’.
‘The report from the Minerals Commission indicated that the area was encumbered and belonged to someone else who had secured all documentation’. He said.
Assuring the public, Asomah- Cheremeh said, the matter can best be investigated from Minerals Commission which is the custodian of all leases/documents relating to mining.
Asomah-Cheremeh, in the statement, challenged the former PMMC Board Chair to present to the public, documentation that inversely opposed to the report of the Minerals Commission.
‘I would want to ask Mr. Kissi to produce all the documentation showing that the area belonged to him for which he claims I took away from him’.
Below is the release by the former minister….
SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT
My attention has been drawn to an audio in circulation on social media and other media platforms where the former Board Chair of Precious Minerals and Marketing Company (PMMC) and the Eastern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Mr. Kingston Okomeng Kissi in an interview on Oman FM and aired on Net 2 TV on the 5th of May, 2021 where he stated that I, Asomah-Cheremeh as then Minister of Lands and Natural Resources cancelled and took away the renewal of his mining license and gave it out to other parties. He further claimed that when the documents were done, it was posted or pasted on the Nkawkaw Municipal assembly’s notice board. He also claimed that the MCE wrote to the Minerals Commission that the said particular area belonged to someone, so it cannot be given out to another person. He stated that he came to my office with a petition and documents proving that it was his, that the NDC could not take that particular area from him but that I took away his mining license. He stated that the matter appeared before the Chief of Staff and was deliberated on for more than ten (10) times of which he claims that she asked me to give the license to him but I refused and took it away from him.
I would want to state emphatically that I never cancelled nor took away Mr. Kissi’s license as he claims.
We met at the Office of the Chief of Staff ONCE to discuss the issue and then, I tasked the Minerals Commission to work on it.
The report from the Minerals Commission indicated that the area was encumbered and belonged to someone else who had secured all documentation.
I would want to ask Mr. Kissi to produce all the documentation showing that the area belonged to him for which he claims I took away from him.
I am NOT responsible for all that allegation per his radio and/or TV conversations or interviews which have gone viral.
As the then Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, I was responsible for licenses or leases to be entered into for and on behalf of Government on one part and the leasee on the other part after all the conditions relating to grant of the lease is met.
Respectfully, I have not done the ‘ill’ that Mr. Kissi complained of and nobodies or no one’s license was taken from him/her in my time as a Minister.
I, therefore see this story as untrue and a total fabrication coming at the time I am no more at the office.
The matter can best be investigated from Minerals Commission which is the custodian of all leases/documents relating to mining.
Signed:
Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh
Cc: All Media Houses
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