Street protests loom as NPP groups give minister two weeks to resign

Two groups said to be affiliated with the Ghana’s governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) say the streets of Bolgatanga, capital of the Upper East Region, will turn into protest scenes in two weeks’ time if the Upper East Regional Minister, Stephen Yakubu, fails to resign from government.

Their call for his resignation has to do with his use of the bank account of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council (UERCC) in receiving some compensation money meant for a private mining firm, Yenyeya Mining Enterprise, without the foreknowledge and consent of the company.

The groups― NPP Youth Group for Party Development and Agambila Youth― made this statement at a news conference held Thursday, May 11, 2023, in Bolgatanga in support of the Managing Director of Yenyeya Mining Enterprise, Charles Taleog Ndanbon.

“We want to state that Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon has not assigned or directed anyone to collect money or mediate on his behalf or on behalf of his company and, therefore, the alleged act of the regional minister could amount to false representation which is criminal.

“By this act of the regional minister, we are calling on the law-enforcement agencies, notably the NIB (National Intelligence Bureau) and the police, to investigate him and bring him to book if found culpable,” the groups said in a joint statement read by a spokesperson, Abdulai Hudu.

Background: “I will not sell my birthright to the Chinese”― Ndanbon

Ndanbon is the NPP’s Upper East Regional Organiser. He is also one of the party’s well-known financiers in the region.

He invited Shaanxi Mining Company Limited from China to Talensi, a gold-rich district in the Upper East Region, in 2008 to render technical support services on his concession.

About a decade later, the Chinese company decided to go solo into a large-scale mining business, discontinuing its partnership with its host, Ndanbon’s Yenyeya Mining Enterprise. The company also adopted a new name for the large-scale mining operation― Earl International Group Ghana Gold Limited.

Consequently, Ndanbon initiated legal action against the foreign company at a High Court in Bolgatanga. The case was discontinued after the regional minister reportedly told the parties he would resolve the conflict. But the conflict has not been settled yet.

In 2021, the Chinese company offered 150,000 United States dollars for Ndanbon to surrender his concession. The regional minister received the money from the company for onward delivery to Ndanbon, but Ndanbon rejected the offer, saying “I will not sell my birthright to the Chinese”.

The regional minister once denied meddling in Ndanbon’s private business, saying Ndanbon himself had asked him to “negotiate” with the Chinese company on his behalf in relation to the company’s bid for his concession. But Ndanbon has persistently told people that he never asked the regional minister to do so in any form— “oral or written”.

While addressing journalists at the Thursday’s conference, the groups asked the regional minister to find a solution to the standoff between Ndanbon and the Chinese company.

“We as NPP youth are calling on the regional minister to quickly resolve the impasse he the regional minister has created between Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon and the Earl International, return the money meant for Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon to Earl International so that he (Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon) will go and collect the money directly from Earl International [and] resign from his post as the regional minister or else we the youth groups will hit the streets after two weeks from today,” they stated.

Below is a copy of the groups’ statement:

PRESS STATEMENT

NPP YOUTH GROUP FOR PARTY DEVELOPMENT AND AGAMBILA YOUTH IN UPPER EAST REGION ON THE ABUSE OF OFFICE BY THE UPPER EAST REGIONAL MINISTER (HON. STEPHEN YAKUBU) AND HIS UNDUE INTERFERENCE IN THE MINING BUSINESS OF HON. CHARLES T. NDANBON (NPP REGIONAL ORGANISER / PARTY FINANCIER)

The Upper East Regional Minister, Hon Stephen Yakubu, abused his office by using the Regional Coordinating Council GCB account number 9011130014513 to receive compensation meant for Yenyeya Mining Enterprise owned by the NPP regional organiser and a party financier, Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon).

We want to state that Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon has not assigned or directed anyone to collect money or mediate on his behalf or on behalf of his company and, therefore, the alleged act of the regional minister could amount to false representation which is criminal. By this act of the regional minister, we are calling on the law-enforcement agencies, notably the NIB and the police, to investigate him and bring him to book if found culpable.

It is public knowledge in the Upper East Region that between 2008 and 2021, Hon Charles T. Ndanbon and Shaanxi were having cordial business relationship after he travelled to China to lobby Shaanxi into Ghana. The company has since employed so many youths in the region and has contributed to the development of the region. In 2021 the small-scale mining license of Shaanxi was revoked and they were required to acquire a large-scale mining licence which they did with a new name Earl International Gold Limited and signed an agreement with their original mining partner (Hon Charles T. Ndanbon) CEO of Yenyeya Mining Enterprise on certain terms agreed upon by both parties.

To the surprise of Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon, the regional minister called him to a meeting to inform him that Earl International Gold Mining Limited wanted to buy off his entire concession contrary to their earlier agreement which he (Hon. Charles T Ndanbon) turned down. But sadly, Earl International is currently mining in his concession under police and military protection offered by the regional minister. Meanwhile, the percentage due him/his company is not being honoured by Earl International which the regional minister is much aware of.

We want to state clearly that Hon. Charles T Ndanbon is not against Earl International’s large-scale mining status but only demands that the agreement signed earlier should be complied with. We the youth groups here want to state categorically clear that it’s through the effort of Hon Charles T. Ndanbon that Earl International Gold Mining Limited, formerly known as Shaanxi, came to Ghana, Upper East Region to be precise, and anyone enjoying from the mining activities of Earl International is enjoying from the labour of Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon.

We as NPP youth are therefore calling on the regional minister to:

1. Quickly resolve the impasse he the regional minister has created between Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon and the Earl International;
2. Return the money meant for Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon to Earl International so that he (Hon. Charles T. Ndanbon) will go and collect the money directly from Earl International;
3. Resign from his post as the regional minister or else we the youth groups will hit the streets after two weeks from today.

Long live the NPP Youth. Long live NPP. Long live Mother Ghana.

Source: Edward Adeti/Media Without Borders/mwbonline.org